offset

[noun, adjective awf-set, of-; verb awf-set, of-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR offset ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

something that counterbalances, counteracts, or compensates for something else; compensating equivalent.

the start, beginning, or outset.

a short lateral shoot by which certain plants are propagated.

an offshoot or branch of a specific population or family.

any offshoot; branch.

Also called offset printing, offset lithography. Lithography.

a process in which a lithographic stone or metal or paper plate is used to make an inked impression on a rubber blanket that transfers it to the paper being printed, instead of being made directly on the paper.
the impression itself.

Also called setoff. Printing. an unintentional transfer of excess or undried ink from one printed sheet to another.

Geology.

(in faults) the magnitude of displacement between two previously aligned bodies.
a spur of a mountain range.

Machinery. a jog or short displacement in an otherwise straight and continuous line, as in a pipe, lever, or rod, made to avoid objects or to connect with other parts.

Architecture. setoff(def 3).

Surveying.

a short distance measured perpendicularly from a main survey line.
Also called offset line.a line a short distance from and parallel to a main survey line.

Naval Architecture. any of the coordinates by which any point on a hull being planned is located.

adjective

of, noting, or pertaining to an offset.

Lithography. pertaining to, printed by, or suitable for printing by offset.

placed away from a center line; off-center.

placed at an angle to something, as to the axis of a form, shape, or object; not parallel.

verb (used with object), off·set, off·set·ting.

to counterbalance as an equivalent does; compensate for: The gains offset the losses.

to juxtapose with something else, as for purposes of comparison: to offset advantages against disadvantages.

Printing.

to make an offset of.
to print by the process of offset lithography.

Architecture. to build with a setoff, as a wall.

Surveying. to establish (a line) parallel to a main survey line at an offset.

verb (used without object), off·set, off·set·ting.

to project as an offset or branch.

to counterbalance or compensate.

Printing. to make an offset.

Origin of offset

First recorded in 1545–55; after verb phrase set off

Synonyms for offset

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR offset ON THESAURUS.COM

2. onset. 17. match, parallel; counterweight, counterpoise; counteract.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for offset

outweigh, neutralize, equal, negate, counteract, balance, counterpoise, account, countervail, redeem, charge, recompense, equalize, requite, equipoise, counterpose

Examples from the Web for offset

Contemporary Examples of offset

Fortunately, Pomplamoose made some money to offset some of these expenses.
How Much Money Does a Band Really Make on Tour?
Jack Conte
December 8, 2014
He plants a tree in Central America for every bottle of Tru spirits he sells to offset the carbon produced in manufacturing.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Vodka
Debra A. Klein
July 23, 2014
The wealthy want to be seen as even more parsimonious, to offset the incriminating millions in their bank accounts.
Sting and Hillary Are Just Like You: How the Very Rich Play at Being Very Ordinary
Tim Teeman
June 24, 2014
Carbon utilization can offset or even exceed, the additional cost of carbon scrubbing.
Yes, There’s a ‘War on Coal.’ Here’s How to End It.
Jonathan Miller
August 16, 2013
And it's been a notorious fact for years that immigration's modest economic benefits are offset by very large fiscal costs.
You Can't Wish Away the Facts About Immigration Amnesty
David Frum
May 9, 2013

Historical Examples of offset

To offset this (p. 096) the Germans bombarded the British line at that point.
The Story of the Great War, Volume III (of VIII)
Various
Here the spell of one sorceress can straightway be offset by that of her sister.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani
The belief had been big enough to offset all possible evidence.
The Prisoner
Alice Brown
It is fair to say that the hesitancy of some was offset by the heroism of others.
The Siege of Boston
Allen French
What can they offer to offset the influences behind these bodies?
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV
Various

British Dictionary definitions for offset

offset

noun (ˈɒfˌsɛt)

something that counterbalances or compensates for something else

an allowance made to counteract some effect

a printing method in which the impression is made onto an intermediate surface, such as a rubber blanket, which transfers it to the paper
(modifier)relating to, involving, or printed by offsetoffset letterpress; offset lithography

another name for set-off

botany

a short runner in certain plants, such as the houseleek, that produces roots and shoots at the tip
a plant produced from such a runner

a ridge projecting from a range of hills or mountains

the horizontal component of displacement on a fault

a narrow horizontal or sloping surface formed where a wall is reduced in thickness towards the top

a person or group descended collaterally from a particular group or family; offshoot

surveying a measurement of distance to a point at right angles to a survey line

verb (ˌɒfˈsɛt) -sets, -setting or -set

(tr) to counterbalance or compensate for

(tr) to print (pictures, text, etc) using the offset process

(tr) to construct an offset in (a wall)

(intr) to project or develop as an offset

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for offset

1550s, "act of setting off" (on a journey, etc.), from off + set (adj.). Meaning "something 'set off' against something else, a counterbalance" is from 1769; the verb in this sense is from 1792. As a type of printing, in which the inked impression is first made on a rubber roller then transferred to paper, it is recorded from 1906.

offset in Science

offset

[ôf′sĕt′]

A shoot that develops laterally at the base of a plant, often rooting to form a new plant. Many succulents and cacti are propagated by removing offsets and planting them elsewhere. See more at vegetative reproduction.