off-message

[ awf-mes-ij, of‐ ]

adjective

1. straying from or contradicting the central theme or official message of a political, business, or other organization:

   The last speaker was way off-message with his bad jokes and irrelevant anecdotes.

off message

adjective

1. off-message when prenominal not adhering to or reflecting the official line of a political party, government, or other organization

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-message¹

An Americanism dating back to 1990–95; off ( def ) + message ( def )

Example Sentences

Dr. Kent Sepkowitz applauds the CDC investigators for straying off-message.

From The Daily Beast

The Republican candidate, forced off-message, is suddenly and manifestly on the defensive.

From The Daily Beast

I guess that type of statement would have been too "off-message" for the RNC to release.

From The Daily Beast

Bill Clinton famously got taken off-message in his first months by wading into the gays-in-the-military debate.

From The Daily Beast

But if McClellan was off-message in his campaign duties, he was hardly alone.

From The Daily Beast