onshore

American  

[on-shawr, -shohr, awn-] / ˈɒnˈʃɔr, -ˈʃoʊr, ˈɔn- /

adverb

1. onto or in the direction of the shore from a body of water.

   a breeze blowing onshore.

2. in or on a body of water, close to or parallel with the shore.

   to sail a boat onshore.

3. on land, especially within the area adjoining a port; ashore.

   to land and shop onshore.

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adjective

1. moving or proceeding toward shore or onto land from a body of water.

   an onshore breeze.

2. located on or close to the shore.

   an onshore lighthouse; an onshore buoy.

3. done or taking place on land.

   onshore liberty for the crew.

verb (used with or without object)

1. reshore.

onshore British  

/ ˈɒnˈʃɔː /

adjective

1. towards the land

   an onshore gale

2. on land; not at sea

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Other Word Forms

• onshoring
  noun

Etymology

Origin of onshore

First recorded in 1500–75; on + shore ¹

Explanation

Use the adjective onshore to describe something that's headed toward the coast from the sea, or that's located on dry land. An onshore wind blows in from the ocean. An onshore breeze is wonderful on a hot summer day, especially if you can spend that day on the beach. If you're on a boat, a strong onshore wind is something to be concerned about, since it will tend to blow your boat toward the land. The oil industry uses onshore to distinguish between oil rigs and wells that are in the ocean and those that are on the land, or onshore.

Example Sentences

Onshore winds on Saturday will bring temperatures down a notch across the Los Angeles region, to 10 to 15 degrees above normal in many areas.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Onshore wind-turbine manufacturer Nordex’s NDX1 16.67%increase; green up pointing triangle shares jumped after the group reported better-than-expected earnings and hinted at potential expansion in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Onshore winds mean North Sea facing coasts may not get much past 9 -11C and there could even be a few wintry showers over the higher ground of Scotland.

From BBC • May 2, 2025

Onshore and offshore wind projects in the U.S. and Europe totaling tens of billions of dollars are in jeopardy amid rising costs and distribution hurdles, underscoring the challenges for the wind industry to scale rapidly.

From Washington Times • Aug. 9, 2023

Onshore some of the people set about clearing up, but several more came crowding to see Will, curious about this boy and the power he had to command the bear.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman

Related Words

• ashore