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.
But off-screen, Lucci had a once-in-a-lifetime love. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026 The film unfolds largely through the five participating workers’ laptop interfaces as their off-screen voices—from their respective locations in Kenya, the Philippines, and Venezuela—explain the segmentation process in real time. Farren Fei Yuan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026 The Bridgertons are a family on-screen and friends off-screen, too! Sophie Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Jan. 2026 By the 1930s and ’40s, Grant’s off-screen world was under constant watch as his star rose with films including Bringing Up Baby, His Girl Friday, and Notorious. Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 28 Jan. 2026 Fans rally to support Quinton Aaron The actor, known for his generosity and community outreach off-screen, faces not only a life-threatening illness but also mounting medical expenses. Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 27 Jan. 2026 Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights wardrobe has already made headlines for its fantastical, whimsical, and at times NSFW interpretation of period drama style ahead of the film’s February 13 release—and the Barbie star is channeling Catherine Earnshaw off-screen for her latest outing. Lara Walsh, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026 But these events unfold with minimal theatrics — the film’s most shocking development takes place entirely off-screen — as Meeks chooses instead to focus on their aftermath, bathing it in the cool blue light of early morning. Katie Rife, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026 About 30 players from the Houston Dynamo Academy will be featured in the movie, aided off-screen by their actual coaches. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 15 Jan. 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 9 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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