offshore

1 of 3

adverb

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˈshȯr 

1

: from the shore : seaward

also : at a distance from the shore

2

: outside the country : abroad

offshore

2 of 3

adjective

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 

1

: coming or moving away from the shore toward the water

an offshore breeze

2

a

: situated off the shore but within waters under a country's control

offshore fisheries

b

: distant from the shore compare inshore

3

: situated or operating in a foreign country

offshore mutual funds

offshore banking

offshore

3 of 3

preposition

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshȯr 

: off the shore of

Synonyms

Adjective

• alongshore
• coastal
• inshore
• littoral
• nearshore
• shoreside

Examples of offshore in a Sentence

Adjective

We sailed to an offshore island.

He works on an offshore oil rig.

They opened an offshore bank account.

He traced the money to an offshore investment company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Jetties on the north and south protect the channel entrance, but in rough weather the giant seas breaking in shallow water offshore set up a savage turmoil. —Orval C. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 31 Oct. 2024

Santa Anas are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific into the region. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024

Adjective

This will represent 65% of the offshore footprint — such majors easing on down the Yellow Brick Road later include France on December 4, China on December 6, Germany on December 12 and Japan on March 7, 2025. —Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024

Warm, dry offshore winds erupted overnight Tuesday and helped spread the fire, which started Wednesday morning amid high temperatures in the 70s. —Dennis Romero, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2024

Preposition

The Outer Continental Shelf offshore Maine is virgin water for wind. —Jeremy Beaman, Washington Examiner, 16 Jan. 2023

Bubbles emerge from a methane seep offshore Virginia. —Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2016

Word History

First Known Use

Adverb

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1769, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

1942, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

offshore

1 of 2 adverb

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˈshō(ə)r 

-ˈshȯ(ə)r

: from the shore : at a distance from the shore

offshore

2 of 2 adjective

off·​shore ˈȯf-ˌshō(ə)r 

-ˌshȯ(ə)r

1

: coming or moving away from the shore

an offshore breeze

2

: located off the shore

offshore islands

an offshore oil rig