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
All this would be done locally on your computer, without running data through external data servers, reducing computational costs, working in online and offline modes, and protecting your privacy as well.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the power supply co-op that owns Craig 1, said the unit has been offline since a critical part broke on December 19.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
These gatherings, which have been popular for more than a century, are roaring back as professionals seek connections that are personal, offline and without distraction.
—Bill Connolly, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Download offline maps in case of patchy service.
—María Cristina Lalonde, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Reporter Angela Yang unpacks the changing attitudes on and offline, and how internet culture is shifting ahead of the new year.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
For someone building an AI-companionship start-up, Schiffmann lives a strikingly offline life.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
His agent — who had another very famous client go through something similar — begged him to stay offline.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Brown, whose day job is in tech, emphasizes the need for offline community-building.
—Noëlle De Leeuw, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the power supply co-op that owns Craig 1, said the unit has been offline since a critical part broke on December 19.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
These gatherings, which have been popular for more than a century, are roaring back as professionals seek connections that are personal, offline and without distraction.
—Bill Connolly, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025
Download offline maps in case of patchy service.
—María Cristina Lalonde, Travel + Leisure, 29 Dec. 2025
Reporter Angela Yang unpacks the changing attitudes on and offline, and how internet culture is shifting ahead of the new year.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
For someone building an AI-companionship start-up, Schiffmann lives a strikingly offline life.
—Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
His agent — who had another very famous client go through something similar — begged him to stay offline.
—Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Dec. 2025
Brown, whose day job is in tech, emphasizes the need for offline community-building.
—Noëlle De Leeuw, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offline. Accessed 9 Jan. 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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