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off-grid

American

[awf-grid, of-] / ˈɔfˌgrɪd, ˈɒf- /

off-the-grid, or off grid

adjective

not connected to or using one or more public utilities, as for electricity or water: Our farm is off grid and works on solar panels.

Well over a billion people live in off-grid areas.
Our farm is off grid and works on solar panels.
not connected to or using one or more public communications networks, as for cellular service.

They live off grid with no internet access.
not having communication with the outside world; not participating in society.

I sometimes fantasize about a solitary, off-grid life, far away from humanity.

off-grid British

adjective

not involving or requiring the use of mainstream sources of energy

"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

Etymology

Origin of off-grid

First recorded in 1975–80

Explanation

Anything that's off-grid doesn't use public utilities like electricity or water. Your dream house might be an off-grid cabin, but you should probably try using an outhouse in the winter before you actually move into one! Off-grid sometimes refers specifically to the national grid, which is made up of regional power plants that provide electricity to most Americans. If solar panels on your roof generate all your electricity, you live in an off-grid home. It can also mean "outside of and not dependent on society" more generally: "I wanted an off-grid life, so I moved into the woods and got some chickens and goats."

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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.

See Examples For:

off-grid

Josh is in high demand as a self-employed electrician because Fair Isle is off-grid with its own energy system.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

This is not an article about how everyone should spend a month off-grid in the most beautiful place they’ve ever been.

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026

He presented as an eccentric neighbor who’d chosen a peaceful, off-grid lifestyle.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Though that’s excluding “time-to-power” solutions, like off-grid power, which bypass grid-connection delays.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

The Thunderhead piloted just about everything airborne, and even if it was an off-grid chopper, someone onboard would always announce their approach and request clearance.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023