off-screen

adverb or adjective

ˈȯf-ˈskrēn How to pronounce off-screen (audio)
variants or offscreen
Synonyms of off-screennext
1
: out of sight of the movie or television viewer
a shot fired off-screen
Before long, Anthony introduces himself to the family pooch, who is whooshed away to an off-screen death.—Kris Turnquist
2
: in private life : when not appearing in a movie, on television, etc.
Moyer's off-screen magnetism comes from a down-to-earth friendliness.—Kate Hahn
Pfeiffer, 34, remains a mystery woman offscreen.—Michael A. Lipton

Examples of off-screen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There’s plenty of love to go around in the world of soap operas — both on- and off-screen. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026 Mills said fans can expect an authentic look at her life off-screen. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 And, infamously, off-screen the pair didn’t really seem to like one another. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026 Of all the major networks based in the UK, Paramount, which owns Channel 5 (now 5), had the lowest proportion of contributions from Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, with the BBC top for on-screen and Channel 4 off-screen. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for off-screen

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of off-screen was in 1916

Rhymes for off-screen

See All Rhymes for off-screen

Browse Nearby Words

offscouring
off-screen
offseason
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Off-screen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/off-screen. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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