off-duty
adjective
not engaged in the performance of one's usual work.
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off-duty
American
[awf-doo-tee, -dyoo-, of-]
/ ˈɔfˈdu ti, -ˈdju-, ˈɒf- /
adjective
-
not engaged in the performance of one's usual work.
an off-duty police officer.
-
of, relating to, or during a period when a person is not at work.
off duty
Idioms
Etymology
Origin of off-duty
First recorded in 1850–55
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.
See Examples For:
Daniel Cartwright, who is a police constable at Bedfordshire Police and was off-duty at the time, was later charged with causing death by dangerous driving.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: See our guide to the best khakis for the office, the golf course or off-duty days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
Today, folks on social media debate the merits of including off-duty pursuits, with opponents calling it cringe, irrelevant or amateurish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"So it is!" chimed in an off-duty fireman nearby.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
Or could the lack of a pinch be more accurately attributed to the fact that the off-duty cops simply pocketed Devine’s dough, parked in a deserted place, and logged eight hours of shut-eye every night?
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
The remains of two Army soldiers who went missing while off duty from military exercises in Morocco were recovered in May, according to the Army.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Platner pleaded ignorance—claiming that he had gotten inked with insignia while drunk and off duty in Croatia, and didn’t understand the horrific context until much later.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
The city of Pasadena said in a statement that the alleged incidents occurred while Ramstead was off duty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2026
Recently, while he was off duty, a Rolls–Royce caught Caviness’s eye in a garage near a Maryland casino.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
That is to say, it was towards the end of the day during a quiet week and I had been enjoying a rare hour or so off duty.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
