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

Pablo Vegas, the president and CEO of ERCOT, said that any power generation facilities that were offline will be activated and all of the grid's capacity will be available. —Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

Analog January is having a moment as many people try to reduce their screen time and explore offline hobbies and interests instead. —Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 21 Jan. 2026

With cold storage, cryptocurrency is stored offline, protecting against theft. —Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026

Physical album pre-orders are currently available at various online and offline music retailers globally, with multiple versions available for collectors. —Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026

Similarly, when the EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening tool (better known as EJScreen) was taken offline last February, PEDP rallied to reconstruct it. —Kyla Mandel, Time, 16 Jan. 2026

These manuals scratch the nostalgia itch, sure, but also exemplify a greater desire for offline, focused activities that can serve as a salve for our dwindling attention spans. —Kristina Rodulfo, Vogue, 15 Jan. 2026

Sports teams encouraged fans to have an offline method of presenting their event tickets at games to avoid delays, while officials warned that the ability to contact 911 could be limited. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026

The Orland Professional Firefighters Local 2754 union continues to raise concerns about the fire district’s ability to respond to an increasing number of calls since an ambulance went offline in June, despite the new fire chief’s assertions the additional ambulance is not needed. —Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 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
• byline
• canine

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