off-message
adjective
straying from or contradicting the central theme or official message of a political, business, or other organization.
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off-message
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off message
off messageadjective(off-message when prenominal) not adhering to or reflecting the official line of a political party, government, or other organization
off-message
American
[awf-mes-ij, of‐]
/ ˈɔfˈmɛs ɪdʒ, ˈɒf‐ /
adjective
off message
British
adjective
Etymology
Origin of off-message
An Americanism dating back to 1990–95; off ( def. ) + message ( def. )
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:
But users online reported Olive has in recent weeks gone slightly off-message while on the phone.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
That students aren’t allowed to ever be off-message and self-aggrandizing?
From Slate ● May 2, 2024
She is not a political obsessive — which can lead, occasionally, to off-message moments.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2020
Oh no, it was the president’s new message man, back when he was off-message.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2017
What they love even more is sharing quotes where their opponents have put their feet in their mouths or gone off-message.
From BBC ● May 21, 2017
They’ll also guarantee more opportunities for the president to go off message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
It’s because Streich isn’t afraid to stray off message in a soccer world where coaches often seem constrained by club policy and PR concerns.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 28, 2022
White House officials were adamant the remark was not a sign of a policy change, but they did concede it was just the latest example of Biden’s penchant for stumbling off message.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 26, 2022
In an era of body positivity, the film Brittany Runs A Marathon would, on paper, seem completely off message.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2019
But, as he was neither brave nor determined, he remained at Fort Edward, sending off message after message to New York, for help which could not possibly arrive in time.
From With Wolfe in Canada The Winning of a Continent by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
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.
