off-screen

adverb or adjective

variants or offscreen
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death.Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness.Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While his relationship is complicated on-screen, off-screen, Rosner has been in a relationship with Ali Kroeker for nearly 15 years. Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026 Officers then swarm toward the man off-screen. Bridget Byrne, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2026 Zoe Saldaña approaches each new role—onscreen and off-screen—with fresh-faced optimism. Grace McCarty, Glamour, 20 Apr. 2026 The third man then asks someone off-screen for a glass of water for his friend, which is promptly delivered. Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026 That support and motivation extends to off-screen collaborators, too. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026 In the Season 3 premiere, Fezco is still alive off-screen. Selome Hailu, Variety, 13 Apr. 2026 The cult favorite teen drama showcases messy and toxic relationships, but off-screen, the cast have much happier love lives. Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster