offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯf-ˈlīn 

variants or less commonly off-line

1

: not connected to or served by a system and especially a computer or telecommunications system

One of the servers is offline.

… we suggest you keep a backup of your digital assets in offline storage, too. This storage can provide some cushioning if your online investment disappears in an instant.

—The Denver (Colorado) Post

also : done or occurring independently of such a system

our online and offline lives

offline activities/events

Movies and shows can be downloaded via the app for offline viewing.

—Dan Auty

2

of a person : not available (as for communication) especially by way of the Internet

She was having computer trouble, she told him, and would be offline for a while.

—Mark Warren

off-line adverb

Examples of offline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Moderate positions can certainly be held, but only in the ordinary life one leads quietly and calmly offline—insofar as living offline is even possible anymore. —Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026

Box Notes lacks offline support. —Robert Anderson, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026

Over time, that shift can shrink your offline world. —Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026

The indicators page also was taken offline, however, a technical document that shows cherry blossom bloom dates in Washington, DC remains online and can be found via a search. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026

Download offline maps and share your itinerary with someone at home. —Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026

While the network is offline, 911 operations are up and running and emergency response personnel are available, the city said on its Facebook page on Monday. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

While emergency services and 911 lines are up and running, the rest of the city’s network remains offline as the investigation into the attack continues, officials said Monday. —Alyce McFadden, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2026

Modern health care is critically dependent on digital technologies, such as electronic health records, laboratory machines and radiology platforms, that shut down when hospital networks are taken offline. —Christian Dameff, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for offline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

offline

adjective

off·​line ˈȯ-ˈflīn 

1

: not connected to or controlled by a computer

an offline printer

2

: not available (as for communication) especially by way of the Internet

she was offline all day

off-line adverb