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
off·shore
ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 
: off the shore of
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
Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
This phase involves everything from building regulations to availability of labor locally, as well as environmental-impact assessments and bathymetric studies of the ocean floor and reefs up to 100 feet offshore.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025
Carlie Procell, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Subsequent flights from an offshore US Navy ship were greeted with more and more evacuees – and no US envoy.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023
Bubbles emerge from a methane seep offshore Virginia.
—Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2016
See All Example Sentences for offshore
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Adverb
Stretching for miles along the coast of Providenciales, the beach has soft, powdery white sand and vivid turquoise waters, protected by a coral reef about a mile offshore.
—Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
This phase involves everything from building regulations to availability of labor locally, as well as environmental-impact assessments and bathymetric studies of the ocean floor and reefs up to 100 feet offshore.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
In April, Trump signed two executive orders aimed at securing critical minerals: one investigating the need for tariffs on mineral imports and another accelerating offshore mining.
—Carlie Procell, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Subsequent flights from an offshore US Navy ship were greeted with more and more evacuees – and no US envoy.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for offshore
Cite this Entry
“Offshore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offshore. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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