off-brand
Americanadjective
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not having a recognized or popular brand or name.
an off-brand TV set.
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being a cheap or inferior brand or grade.
off-brand batteries that never work when you need them.
noun
-
a brand or name that is unrecognized or relatively unfamiliar.
-
a cheap or inferior brand.
Etymology
Origin of off-brand
First recorded in 1890–95
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.
Last year, she managed to fill Easter baskets she gave with some brand-name candy bolstered with off-brand budget choices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
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 ● May 16, 2025
“It would be off-brand for them to be selling things that consumers think would be too expensive.”
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2024
This time, it’s the off-brand “John Wick” ripoff “The Beekeeper,” starring Jason Statham and directed by David Ayer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024
They sell off-brand cassette tapes and ladies’ scarves and 990 hardcover books and a dozen other items.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
