off-screen

adverb or adjective

variants or offscreen
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death.Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness.Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The show ran for 7 seasons from 2011 to 2018 New Girl featured some of the most unforgettable on-screen relationships of the 2010s — but the cast's off-screen relationships are just as adorable. Julie Tremaine, People.com, 6 July 2025 Madsen’s off-screen life was marked by some legal and personal troubles. Dan Heching, CNN Money, 3 July 2025 His character has remained alive in the film universe but largely off-screen. Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 30 June 2025 Tales of ballooning costs, nonstop rewrites, off-screen indulgence and on-set clashes swirled around the production, becoming the stuff of Hollywood lore. Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 Krakow and Rosenbaum aren’t the only off-screen couple to have found love on the show. Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 23 June 2025 Carson Kressley Kressley competed on season 11 of Worst Cooks and was friends with Burrell off-screen. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 June 2025 While collaborating on building her character with DeBlois and the rest of the cast and crew, Parker revealed that Astrid’s bravery inspired her off-screen. Leia Mendoza, Variety, 13 June 2025 But while Dorothy went on a fantastical adventure, the actress and singer's journey off-screen was plagued by depression and drug abuse. Dave Quinn, People.com, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

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Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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