off-air

American

[awf-air, of-] / ˈɔfˈɛər, ˈɒf- /

adjective

not broadcast, but said, played, or happening in a radio or television studio context.

off-air British

adjective

obtained by reception of a radiated broadcasting signal rather than by line feed

an off-air recording
connected with a radio or television programme but not broadcast

an off-air phone-in

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Savannah Guthrie made her way back to NBC’s studios in New York on Thursday after more than a month off-air, but not in her usual capacity.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

But, it stressed, it should be "measuring class on and off-air as a matter of urgency".

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

Michael Strahan is finally back on “Good Morning America,” weeks after personal matters prompted his off-air break.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2023

She announced on Friday she was separating from her long-time partner, TV presenter Andrea Giambruno, after he repeatedly sparked outrage for sexist comments made on and off-air.

From Reuters • Oct. 22, 2023

No broadcast program may be recorded off-air more than once at the request of the same teacher, regardless of the number of times the program may be broadcast.

From Reproduction of Copyrighted Works By Educators and Librarians by Library of Congress. Copyright Office

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023