off-duty

[ awf-doo-tee, -dyoo-, of- ]

/ ˈɔfˈdu ti, -ˈdyu-, ˈɒf- /

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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.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of off-duty

First recorded in 1850–55

Words nearby off-duty

off-centre, off chance, off-color, off colour, offcut, off-duty, Offenbach, offence, offend, offended, offender

How to use off-duty in a sentence

A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They selected an “easy mark” who turned out to be an off-duty NYC Housing Authority cop named James Carragher.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The theater manager called security, and three moonlighting off-duty police deputies arrived.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Three off-duty cops working as security guards apprehended Saylor and proceeded to restrain him in an ultimately fatal fashion.
Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls|Emily Shire|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She enjoyed her work in Egypt, and found many opportunities for interesting expeditions in her off-duty time.
A Patriotic Schoolgirl|Angela Brazil
At last Tabs saw how she looked in her off-duty moments, when she wasn't occupied with being respectful.
The Kingdom Round the Corner|Coningsby Dawson
I'm just going off-duty now, ma'm; the night shift came on about ten minutes ago, at six o'clock.
Joan Thursday|Louis Joseph Vance
It took all the off-duty men from six precincts to handle the last riot.
A Matter of Importance|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
Mac came into the half-ruined dugout where the off-duty machine gunners were making tea over a fire of splintered logs.
Kitchener's Mob|James Norman Hall

Other Idioms and Phrases with off-duty

off duty

see under on duty.