offshore

1 of 3

adverb

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˈshȯr 

1

: from the shore : seaward

also : at a distance from the shore

2

: outside the country : abroad

offshore

2 of 3

adjective

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 

1

: coming or moving away from the shore toward the water

an offshore breeze

2

a

: situated off the shore but within waters under a country's control

offshore fisheries

b

: distant from the shore compare inshore

3

: situated or operating in a foreign country

offshore mutual funds

offshore banking

offshore

3 of 3

preposition

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 

: off the shore of

Synonyms

Adjective

• alongshore
• coastal
• inshore
• littoral
• nearshore
• shoreside

Examples of offshore in a Sentence

Adjective

We sailed to an offshore island.

He works on an offshore oil rig.

They opened an offshore bank account.

He traced the money to an offshore investment company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

In 2008, despite the fact that Hurricane Bertha was more than a 1,000 miles offshore, the storm resulted in rip currents that killed three people along the New Jersey coast and required 1,500 lifeguard rescues in Ocean City, Maryland, over a 1 week period. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2024

Dramatic footage shows the moment a Coast Guard helicopter team rescued two Florida boaters lost 73 miles offshore during Hurricane Debby. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 6 Aug. 2024

Adjective

An offshore drilling platform stands in shallow waters at the Manifa offshore oilfield, operated by Saudi Aramco, in Manifa, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018. —Natasha Turak, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024

However, there's tremendous potential to generate far more energy for our needs from offshore wind projects. —New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2024

Preposition

The Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine is virgin water for wind. —Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023

Bubbles emerge from a methane seep offshore Virginia. —Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2016

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1942, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

offshore

1 of 2 adverb

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˈshō(ə)r 

-ˈshȯ(ə)r

: from the shore : at a distance from the shore

offshore

2 of 2 adjective

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshō(ə)r 

-ˌshȯ(ə)r

1

: coming or moving away from the shore

an offshore breeze

2

: located off the shore

offshore islands

an offshore oil rig