Off line or offline?
off line is an adjective meaning “Alternative form of offline”; offline is an adjective meaning “Of a system, currently not connected (generally electrically) to a larger…”. off line is written as two words and offline as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between off line and offline?
| off line | offline | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | adjective | adjective, adverb, verb |
| Meaning | Alternative form of offline | Of a system, currently not connected (generally electrically) to a larger network. For example, a power plant which is not connected to the grid, or a computer… Happening in the physical world (the real world) as opposed to on the internet While offline; with an offline system |
| Example | none recorded | I saved the web pages so I could read them later offline |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ɒfˈlaɪn/ /ɔfˈlaɪn/ /ɑfˈlaɪn/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 5.5 times per million words |
Sources: off line and offline in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of off line and offline
off line
- 1
Alternative form of offline
offline
- 1
Of a system, currently not connected (generally electrically) to a larger network. For example, a power plant which is not connected to the grid, or a computer which is not connected to the Internet…
I saved the web pages so I could read them later offline
- 2
While offline; with an offline system
- 3
To take (a system, etc.) offline; to demote from an active or online state
- 4
Happening in the physical world (the real world) as opposed to on the internet
offline meetings
- 5
slangOutside the current meeting, in a more private setting
- 6
To raid another player's base while that player is not currently playing
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, off line or offline?
off line is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; offline 5.5 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).