Offline means not connected to the internet or a computer network. When your tablet is offline, it can't load new websites, send messages, or download videos. The opposite is online, which means connected and able to communicate with other computers.

Before the internet became common in the 1990s, everything was offline by default. People wrote letters instead of emails, used encyclopedias instead of search engines, and called friends on the phone instead of texting. Today, most devices can work both ways: you might download a movie while online, then watch it later while offline on an airplane.

The word also describes things that happen in the physical world rather than on computers. An offline conversation means talking face-to-face instead of through screens. An offline store is a real building you walk into, as opposed to an online shop. Some people deliberately go offline for a while, turning off their devices to focus on homework, spend time with family, or just take a break from screens.

You might hear someone say “let's take this offline,” meaning they want to discuss something privately or away from a group, whether that group is meeting online or in person.