offshore

American  

[awf-shawr, -shohr, of-] / ˈɔfˈʃɔr, -ˈʃoʊr, ˈɒf- /

adverb

1. off or away from the shore;

   They pushed the boat offshore.

2. at a distance from the shore, on a body of water.

   looking for oil offshore.

3. in a foreign country.

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adjective

1. moving or tending away from the shore toward or into a body of water.

   an offshore wind.

2. located or operating on a body of water, at some distance from the shore.

   offshore fisheries.

3. registered, located, conducted, or operated in a foreign country.

   an offshore investment company; offshore manufacture of car parts.

verb (used with or without object)

1. (of a company or organization) to move jobs or business activities from the home territory to a foreign country: At this time, the manufacturing division has no plans to offshore.

   When our IT services were offshored to Malaysia, I lost my job.

   At this time, the manufacturing division has no plans to offshore.

offshore British  

/ ˌɒfˈʃɔː /

adjective

1. from, away from, or at some distance from the shore

2. overseas; abroad

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adjective

1. sited or conducted at sea as opposed to on land

   offshore industries

2. based or operating abroad in places where the tax system is more advantageous than that of the home country

   offshore banking

   offshore fund

offshore Scientific  

/ ôf′shôr′ /

1. The relatively flat, irregularly shaped zone that extends outward from the breaker zone to the edge of the continental shelf. The water depth in this area is usually at least 10 m (33 ft). The offshore is continually submerged.

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Other Word Forms

• offshoring noun

Etymology

Origin of offshore

First recorded in 1710–20; off + shore ¹

Example Sentences

"The UK has one of the biggest offshore wind markets in the world," Khan said.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

These include Larak Island, just offshore from the key port of Bandar Abbas, and sitting right on the Strait of Hormuz.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Before deciding to pursue an offshore treatment, Chitwood consults his fellow longevity enthusiasts.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Meloni said Italy would invest in shale gas projects and offshore exploration in Algeria.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The wind was blowing offshore, from the northwest.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin