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

The album also exults in musical zingers, non sequiturs and startling off-grid eruptions. —Jon Pareles, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

The wealthy, unable to rely on the municipality, are going off-grid; digging boreholes, buying water storage tanks and installing solar panels. —Kate Bartlett, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024

On the page, Savannah and Joy went to a completely off-grid health retreat together, part ways at the end of it, and Joy returns home stunned to find everyone thinking she'd been killed. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024

In the years since, it's developed an Indigenous workforce that has installed 2.5-kilowatt off-grid solar and battery storage systems in 72 homes across the Hopi and Navajo Nations. —The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024

Energy for off-grid agricultural practices: For farming cooperatives in remote or off-grid areas, accessing reliable energy for agricultural practices can be a challenge. —Starfire Energy, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2024

Upgrades for microgrids include smart home integration, automatic switching between grid-connected and off-grid modes, and remote monitoring capabilities. —Jamie Gold, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

The dry composting method will be familiar to those with off-grid homes. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024

There are also off-grid capabilities through private solar power, a septic system, and a high-volume water well. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024

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)