onshore
Americanadverb
adjective
-
moving or proceeding toward shore or onto land from a body of water.
an onshore breeze.
-
located on or close to the shore.
an onshore lighthouse; an onshore buoy.
-
done or taking place on land.
onshore liberty for the crew.
verb (used with or without object)
adjective
-
towards the land
an onshore gale
-
on land; not at sea
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of onshore
Explanation
Use the adjective onshore to describe something that's headed toward the coast from the sea, or that's located on dry land. An onshore wind blows in from the ocean. An onshore breeze is wonderful on a hot summer day, especially if you can spend that day on the beach. If you're on a boat, a strong onshore wind is something to be concerned about, since it will tend to blow your boat toward the land. The oil industry uses onshore to distinguish between oil rigs and wells that are in the ocean and those that are on the land, or onshore.
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.
Detroit’s automakers have responded to tariff ups and downs by planning to onshore production of certain vehicles and parts to the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Wells onshore are producing thick product. Offshore is like water — it comes right out,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Galp is buying 15 onshore wind farms in Spain in a 420-million-euro deal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
One of Europe's biggest onshore wind farms is to be flattened and rebuilt with fewer, taller turbines, its owner has announced.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
After coming up onshore, we dried off with the towels we’d brought and aimed a few small rocks toward the DiAngelos’ sailboat.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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.
