spin-off

American  

[spin-awf, -of] / ˈspɪnˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

Or spinoff

noun

1. Commerce. a process of reorganizing a corporate structure whereby the capital stock of a division or subsidiary of a corporation or of a newly affiliated company is transferred to the stockholders of the parent corporation without an exchange of any part of the stock of the latter.

2. any product that is an adaption, outgrowth, or development of another similar product.

   The paperback is a spin-off from the large hardcover encyclopedia.

   Synonyms:

   offshoot, issue, by-product

3. a secondary or incidental product or effect derived from technological development in a somewhat unrelated area.

   Synonyms:

   offshoot, issue, by-product

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spin off British  

verb

1. (tr, preposition) to turn (a part of a business enterprise) into a separate company

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noun

1. any product or development derived incidentally from the application of existing knowledge or enterprise

2. a book, film, or television series derived from a similar successful book, film, or television series

spin off Idioms  

1. Derive or produce from something else, especially a small part from a larger whole. For example, The corporation decided to spin off the automobile parts division, or Her column was spun off from her book on this subject. The expression transfers the throwing off by centrifugal force, as in spinning, to other enterprises. [Mid-1900s]

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Etymology

Origin of spin-off

First recorded in 1945–50; noun use of verb phrase spin off

Compare meaning

How does spin-off compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spin-off vs. split-off

Example Sentences

Sony Pictures Entertainment also unveiled a first glimpse at "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse", the animated spin-off due to hit theaters in June 2027.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

This innovation has since been developed into a range of oral care products by the spin-off company PerioTrap.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

HBO Max’s “The Pitt” received a credit of $24.2 million, while “Stewie,” a spin-off of Seth MacFarlane’s irreverent adult cartoon “Family Guy,” was awarded $6.4 million.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Pixarians, frustrated that their streaming releases didn’t resonate more, grew panicked after the flop of their first film back in theaters, 2022’s “Toy Story” spin-off “Lightyear.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

It might also provide the kind of secondary, spin-off items of science that we like to see in federally supported research.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas