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
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
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
Mark Warren
off-line
adverb
Examples of offline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 15 million barrels of crude production per day have been taken offline, according to investment firm Raymond James, and millions more barrels are stuck on tankers.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Their role is to observe conditions and report concerns while the system remains offline.
—Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Historically, the company’s generation fleet is unexpectedly offline less than 4% of the year, Andersen said.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The attacks forced the facilities offline and led to service outages affecting banking, payments, delivery apps, and enterprise software across the region.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
But there are still all sorts of offline implications to ditching interpersonal interactions in favor of platforms prone to cognitive biases.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
If major facilities go offline, cities could lose most drinking water within days, potentially triggering humanitarian crises comparable to the 1991 Gulf War aftermath.
—Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
When a laboratory is forced offline, entire experimental arcs collapse.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
His emotional support has arguably made Yun Song more open to forming relationships in the offline world, and it isn’t treated as unhealthy.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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David Goldman, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Their role is to observe conditions and report concerns while the system remains offline.
—Matthew Kayser, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Historically, the company’s generation fleet is unexpectedly offline less than 4% of the year, Andersen said.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2026
The attacks forced the facilities offline and led to service outages affecting banking, payments, delivery apps, and enterprise software across the region.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
But there are still all sorts of offline implications to ditching interpersonal interactions in favor of platforms prone to cognitive biases.
—Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Mar. 2026
If major facilities go offline, cities could lose most drinking water within days, potentially triggering humanitarian crises comparable to the 1991 Gulf War aftermath.
—Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
When a laboratory is forced offline, entire experimental arcs collapse.
—Dave Doneson, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026
His emotional support has arguably made Yun Song more open to forming relationships in the offline world, and it isn’t treated as unhealthy.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Offline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offline. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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