off-brand

American  

[awf-brand, of-] / ˈɔfˌbrænd, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. not having a recognized or popular brand or name.

   an off-brand TV set.

2. being a cheap or inferior brand or grade.

   off-brand batteries that never work when you need them.

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noun

1. a brand or name that is unrecognized or relatively unfamiliar.

2. a cheap or inferior brand.

Etymology

Origin of off-brand

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Next to the video games, he carefully arranged dozens of stuffed Hello Kitty dolls on a rack above rows of grinning Lafufus — an off-brand version of Labubus — and piles of incense sticks and tennis shoes.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s an off-brand, pioneer town that has so far resisted any whiff of genteel urbanity.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s music that never met a mismatched rear spoiler it didn’t love—tunes that are likely to show up with an off-brand energy drink and a new exotic pet.

From Salon

“It would be off-brand for them to be selling things that consumers think would be too expensive.”

From Slate

We go up an aisle and grab off-brand snacks I’ve never heard of: Sour Patch Adults, Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Cream, Rainbow-Colored Chews, and my favorite, A Chocolate Bar with Peanuts and Caramel.

From Literature