Off-set or offset?
off-set is a noun meaning “Alternative form of offset”; offset is a noun meaning “Anything that acts as counterbalance; a compensating equivalent”. off-set is written with a hyphen and offset as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between off-set and offset?
| off-set | offset | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb, adverb, adjective | noun, verb, adverb, adjective |
| Meaning | Alternative form of offset | Anything that acts as counterbalance; a compensating equivalent A form of countertrade arrangement, in which the seller agrees to purchase within a set time frame products of a certain value from the buying country. This… To counteract or compensate for, by applying a change in the opposite direction |
| Example | none recorded | Today's victory was an offset to yesterday's defeat |
| Forms | off-sets | offsets |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ˈɒf.sɛt/ /ˈɔf.sɛt/ /ˈɑf.sɛt/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 9.8 times per million words |
Sources: off-set and offset 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-set and offset
off-set
- 1
Alternative form of offset
- 2
Alternative form of offset
- 3
Alternative form of offset
- 4
Alternative form of offset
offset
- 1
Anything that acts as counterbalance; a compensating equivalent
Today's victory was an offset to yesterday's defeat
- 2
To counteract or compensate for, by applying a change in the opposite direction
I'll offset the time difference locally
- 3
Away from or off from the set of a movie, film, video, or play
- 4
Away from or off from the set of a movie, film, video, or play
- 5
A form of countertrade arrangement, in which the seller agrees to purchase within a set time frame products of a certain value from the buying country. This kind of agreement may be used in large…
- 6
To place out of line
- 7
A time at which something begins; outset
- 8
To form an offset in (a wall, rod, pipe, etc.)
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-set or offset?
off-set is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; offset 9.8 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).