offline

American  

[awf-lahyn, of-] / ˈɔfˈlaɪn, ˈɒf- /

Or off-line,

adjective

1. Computers. operating independently of, or disconnected from, an associated computer.

2. Radio. (of a network) not supplying affiliated stations with programming but allowing each station to program its own shows, usually within a specific format.

3. Television. of or relating to the preliminary planning and editing of a videotaped program.

4. located in or serving a place not on a regular route of a railroad, bus, or air carrier.

   an offline ticket office.

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adverb

1. in or to a more private place.

   We should take this discussion offline.

offline British  

/ ˈɒfˌlaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or concerned with a part of a computer system not connected to the central processing unit but controlled by a computer storage device See online

2. disconnected from a computer; switched off

3. extra to or not involving a continuous sequence of operations, such as a production line

4. radio television (of processes, such as editing) not carried out on the actual transmission medium

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adverb

1. while not connected to a computer or the internet

Etymology

Origin of offline

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The urgency he feels to build his startup, which aims to bring open-source models offline and onto local devices, made him decide to take a gap year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 5, 2026

Korkejian hung the images at the neighborhood coffee shop run by friends as a small, offline extension of the personal mythology captured on her new album, “Neon Summer Skin.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

From screen-time eyestrain to social media’s negative impact on mental health, there are plenty of reasons to get offline even as technology takes over more aspects of our lives.

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

One is the appreciation among hardcore players for collecting physical media, which also protects them from the games being taken offline by their makers.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026

Most stations are either offline or have triggered the emergency broadcast network, so it’s the same thing almost everywhere.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman