off year

noun

1. a year without a major, especially presidential, election.
2. a year marked by reduced or inferior production or activity in a particular field, as farming, business, or sports:

   With its wet, cold summer, this was an off year for grapes.

Other Words From

• off-year adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of off year¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The off-year special election into which Duke threw himself drew little media notice at first.

From The Daily Beast

So far, Ready for Hillary's foray into off-year elections is mixed.

From The Daily Beast

But, in an off-year special election those patterns might not hold.

From The Daily Beast

Canter acknowledges that the Democrats talk about “field” in every off-year election.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, the off-year had elections of less political significance but scandals that were a lot more fun.

From The Daily Beast

At the present time the Red Astrachans are ripe and the two off-year branches are fairly well loaded with magnificent apples.

From Project Gutenberg

Every President in the off-year election urges the election of a Congress of his own party.

From Project Gutenberg

By the latter system the ploughing is done in the off-year, and the land left a naked fallow.

From Project Gutenberg