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.
The incident occurred Saturday night when the off-duty deputy let the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, named Santi, out into the yard to urinate, according to a news release by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
The Israeli military said he was shot by an off-duty soldier and accused him of throwing stones.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
"The ceasefire definitely soothes our nerves, hoping it stays this way. The crew is finally taking a breather," an off-duty captain of a ship, whose crew is stranded off Qatar, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
The officer was undergoing surgery on Monday night, and many on- and off-duty police officers were visiting the hospital to offer support to his family, Derderian said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
One of his off-duty buddies occupies the passenger’s seat.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
The Associated Press reported that the remains of two Army soldiers who went missing while off duty from military exercises in Morocco were recovered in May.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Liam said that nowadays they were most often mixed up when they were off duty.
From BBC ● May 19, 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
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
The regular doorman was off duty that night, and with Mia’s coat nestled around her, the night doorman didn’t seem to notice her belly.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
