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 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
In Sweden, municipalities were forced to communicate offline using paper memos.
—Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Surveillance footage captured an individual tampering with electrical components, disabling power to the radar, damaging the generator and control panels, and knocking the system offline for several hours on Sunday.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
The primary race was marked by offline Islamophobic rhetoric—most prominently from Cuomo’s camp, which included flyers with Mamdani’s beard lengthened and darkened.
—Juwayriah Wright, Time, 9 July 2025
Sarah Jessica Parker thinks politics would be better served offline.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025
Even offline purchases using a rewards card feed into databases.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025
Similarly, the YouTube Music app offers just basic controls and doesn’t support offline downloads, while Google Maps only displays your current trip and ETA.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 July 2025
Retailers in China are betting big on food and beverage as one of the few offline segments where consumers continue to spend, though with less emphasis on value and cost, said a marketing agency advising European brands operating in China.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 June 2025
The momentum grew offline, too, as tens of thousands of volunteers showed up to door-knock for Mamdani in their neighborhoods.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 26 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Surveillance footage captured an individual tampering with electrical components, disabling power to the radar, damaging the generator and control panels, and knocking the system offline for several hours on Sunday.
—Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
The primary race was marked by offline Islamophobic rhetoric—most prominently from Cuomo’s camp, which included flyers with Mamdani’s beard lengthened and darkened.
—Juwayriah Wright, Time, 9 July 2025
Sarah Jessica Parker thinks politics would be better served offline.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025
Even offline purchases using a rewards card feed into databases.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025
Similarly, the YouTube Music app offers just basic controls and doesn’t support offline downloads, while Google Maps only displays your current trip and ETA.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 1 July 2025
Retailers in China are betting big on food and beverage as one of the few offline segments where consumers continue to spend, though with less emphasis on value and cost, said a marketing agency advising European brands operating in China.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 26 June 2025
The momentum grew offline, too, as tens of thousands of volunteers showed up to door-knock for Mamdani in their neighborhoods.
—Angela Yang, NBC news, 26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Offline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offline. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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