offline
Americanadjective
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Computers. operating independently of, or disconnected from, an associated computer.
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Radio. (of a network) not supplying affiliated stations with programming but allowing each station to program its own shows, usually within a specific format.
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Television. of or relating to the preliminary planning and editing of a videotaped program.
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located in or serving a place not on a regular route of a railroad, bus, or air carrier.
an offline ticket office.
adverb
adjective
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of, relating to, or concerned with a part of a computer system not connected to the central processing unit but controlled by a computer storage device See online
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disconnected from a computer; switched off
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extra to or not involving a continuous sequence of operations, such as a production line
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radio television (of processes, such as editing) not carried out on the actual transmission medium
adverb
Etymology
Origin of offline
First recorded in 1925–30
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.
Like many other internet-fueled food crazes, Cane’s enthusiasm often spills offline in surprisingly tangible ways.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
In its blog, OpenAI said it would focus on "moments when offline support may matter most".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
In the healthcare sector, nursing beds are being taken offline and some home-care agencies are halting admissions, said Katie Smith Sloan, chief executive of LeadingAge, which represents aging-services providers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Song remains adamantly offline, relying on the "Four Pillars of Destiny" astrology in braille and on her four decades of experience in careful listening -- a skill her automated competition cannot match.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
The particular program she was in required her to stay off the phone and offline, but she was encouraged to write, and we’d exchanged a dozen or so letters.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
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.
