off-grid

adjective

ˈȯf-ˈgrid 

variants or off-the-grid

ˈȯf-ṯẖə-ˈgrid 

: not connected to or served by publicly or privately managed utilities (such as electricity, gas, or water)

When folks move to an off-grid, rural homestead, they often end up burning a lot of fossil fuels (and spending a lot of money) driving to and from town in an inefficient farm truck.

—Cam Mather

Four Harvard University students are bringing portable, sustainable power to off-grid areas in developing countries …

—Emily Aviles

It's hard to imagine a more inspiring space than this off-the-grid building (powered by nearby solar panels).

—Samuel Cochran

Traditionally, home schooling has been branded as a fringe activity—the domain of Bible-toting parents and off-the-grid hippies.

—Lynn Schnaiberg

off the grid adverb

or less commonly off-the-grid or off-grid

Not everyone can live off the grid. At least not yet. But until then, many of us are doing simple things to conserve energy, save money and help the environment.

—Paul Singley

I'm not taking about modern-day Thoreaus building shacks in the woods and living off-the-grid …

—Paul McFedries

Right now people who live off-grid with PV panels on their roofs rely on ordinary batteries to get through the night.

—George Johnson

Examples of off-grid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Among the native grasses and desert plants lie a collection of Kohler solar panels and a deep private well, enabling the kind of off-grid living Friedman was seeking all those years ago. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 2025

Envision 2024 debuted a waterless, off-grid sanitation model using dry-composting toilets. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025

Take your modern farmhouse anywhere, since it’s built on wheels for a customizable design that can be completely off-grid. —Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025

Working with partners like Stripe and Scale Microgrids, Paces has modelled off-grid systems using solar, battery storage, and gas backup that can power AI data centers without waiting years for a grid connection. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

off-grid

adjective

ˈȯf-ˈgrid 

variants or off-the-grid

ˈȯf-ṯẖə-ˈgrid 

: not connected to or served by publicly or privately managed utilities (as electricity, gas, or water)