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.
First recorded in 1850–55
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nunez said the suspect was "apprehended by an off-duty police officer".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
People have described how bystanders rushed to the water to help, including teenagers who worked at the nearby Seaview Beach Diner and an off-duty paramedic.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In February 2026, Joslin filed a lawsuit against several government agencies and officials, alleging unlawful and retaliatory action in response to peaceful off-duty expression.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
Two off-duty nurses and an off-duty doctor began performing CPR on the beach before the teenager was taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital by air ambulance.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 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
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
Hashimi charges into the breach with a head full of “improvements” she plans to make before Robby has even gone off duty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 6, 2026
Many law enforcement officers carry their handheld radios off duty and turn them on if there’s police activity nearby, Meyer said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
Dismay was officially off duty, although he always went to the graveside service.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
