offscreen

American

[awf-skreen, of-] / ˈɔfˈskrin, ˈɒf- /

adjective

occurring, existing, or done away from the motion-picture or television screen.

an offscreen voice.
in real life rather than on the motion-picture or television screen.

the newscaster's offscreen personality.

adverb

apart or away from motion-picture or television performances; in actual life.

Offscreen he's a racing-car enthusiast.

Etymology

Origin of offscreen

First recorded in 1930–35; off + screen

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:

offscreen

The filmmaker, or God, can almost be heard chuckling offscreen as the final frames roll.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Where Americans think of graphically violent procedurals as comfort watches, the British prefer their TV homicides to be much tidier: Serious violence occurs offscreen.

From Salon ● Jun. 16, 2026

Richardson and Clarke developed a similar friendship offscreen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026

Ms. Keaton’s elegant looks, warm laugh, broad smile, her canny intelligence and broad streak of whimsy made her as sought-after offscreen as on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025

Dad walks offscreen, the gravel and leaves crunching under his footsteps, then brings Mom in, blindfolded.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023