onshore

American  

[on-shawr, -shohr, awn-] / ˈɒnˈʃɔr, -ˈʃoʊr, ˈɔn- /

adverb

1. onto or in the direction of the shore from a body of water.

   a breeze blowing onshore.

2. in or on a body of water, close to or parallel with the shore.

   to sail a boat onshore.

3. on land, especially within the area adjoining a port; ashore.

   to land and shop onshore.

---

adjective

1. moving or proceeding toward shore or onto land from a body of water.

   an onshore breeze.

2. located on or close to the shore.

   an onshore lighthouse; an onshore buoy.

3. done or taking place on land.

   onshore liberty for the crew.

verb (used with or without object)

1. reshore.

onshore British  

/ ˈɒnˈʃɔː /

adjective

1. towards the land

   an onshore gale

2. on land; not at sea

---

Other Word Forms

• onshoring
  noun

Etymology

Origin of onshore

First recorded in 1500–75; on + shore ¹

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

Global oil inventories—which include onshore tanks and oil floating on tankers at sea, and are a measure of the slack in energy markets—have fallen at a record pace since the start of the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

The interceptor’s role isn’t obvious from a nearby onshore path, where people were biking, strolling and fishing on the perfectly temperate spring day.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

"Future studies could track these variables alongside onshore heart rate patterns to clarify the mechanisms behind this apparent delayed recovery."

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Enormous amounts of onshore wind and solar power had been deployed during the previous five years.

From Salon • May 9, 2026

I settled in a few feet onshore, held Otto to my chest, and rocked him through his complaining hunger while we waited for the dawn.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Related Words

• ashore