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

This essay was reprinted from Brian Beutler’s site Off Message.

From Slate

Guest: Brian Beutler, author of the Substack “Off Message,” cohost of the podcast Politix.

From Slate

But in her interviews, she often appeared uncomfortable and unwilling to go off message, famously saying in a friendly interview on “The View” that she could not think of anything she would have done differently than Biden.

From Los Angeles Times

As Sarah Lazarus wrote at Off Message, "Kamala Harris will be a president for all Americans," whether "they’re sports guys or tech bros."

From Salon

Campaigns dread the unexpected headline or crisis that pushes their candidates off message and changes the trajectory of a race.

From BBC