offseason

noun

off·​sea·​son ˈȯf-ˌsē-zᵊn 

variants or less commonly off-season

plural offseasons also off-seasons

: a time of suspended or reduced activity

It's cheaper to visit the area during the offseason.

off-season travel

especially : the time during which an athlete is not training or competing

During the offseason, he put on another eight pounds of muscle and when he got to spring training, his Red Sox uniform was too tight.

—Mel Antonen

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery in the off-season, Hardaway says he's ready to put last year's disappointment behind him.

—Marty Burns

an offseason football trade

off-season training

off-season adverb

or less commonly offseason

traveling off-season

Examples of offseason in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thompson, who agreed to a buyout with the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Heat in free agency this past offseason, finished his first regular season game in a Heat uniform with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026

Former Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, who signed a three-year deal with the crosstown rival in the offseason, struggled in his Clippers debut and finished with 10 points on three-for-13 shooting. — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

This past offseason, New York also traded for former Titans defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Toronto reacquired Leonard in an offseason trade after a salary cap-circumvention scandal that led to massive sanctions against the Clippers. — CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for offseason

• milesian
• partizan
• postseason
• preseason
• unreason
• reason
• season
• seizin
• treason

Kids Definition

off-season

noun

ˈȯf-ˌsēz-ᵊn

: a time when some activity is suspended or reduced