offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯf-ˈlīn 

variants or less commonly off-line

1

: not connected to or served by a system and especially a computer or telecommunications system

One of the servers is offline.

… we suggest you keep a backup of your digital assets in offline storage, too. This storage can provide some cushioning if your online investment disappears in an instant.

—The Denver (Colorado) Post

also : done or occurring independently of such a system

our online and offline lives

offline activities/events

Movies and shows can be downloaded via the app for offline viewing.

—Dan Auty

2

of a person : not available (as for communication) especially by way of the Internet

She was having computer trouble, she told him, and would be offline for a while.

—Mark Warren

off-line adverb

Examples of offline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Of Japan's 54 commercial reactors, 11 are currently in operation, 20 are offline and more than 20 others are being decommissioned, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. — ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

New weekend attacks also knocked two additional Russian refineries offline, further straining global refined product supplies and likely offsetting any seasonal relief. — Miami Herald Staff Report, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

The question is therefore no longer whether a brand has offline and digital capabilities. — Li Jun, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Content can also be downloaded for offline viewing, which is useful when traveling or simply spending time somewhere without reliable internet access. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for offline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯ-ˈflīn 

1

: not connected to or controlled by a computer

an offline printer

2

: not available (as for communication) especially by way of the Internet

she was offline all day

off-line adverb