English Reference
adjective · adverb · verb

offshore

adj. · adv. · v.
US /ˈɔfˈʃɔɹ/ UK /ˈɒfʃɔː/ off·shore

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.located in the sea, away from the coast.

    adj.situated at some distance from the shore, typically within the territorial or economic waters of a country.

    Simple

    The company is building a new offshore wind farm to generate clean energy.

    In context

    Engineers faced significant logistical hurdles while maintaining the offshore drilling platform during the winter storm season.

    seawardmaritime
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.based in a different country, usually to pay less tax or lower costs.

    adj.registered or located in a foreign country, often to take advantage of lower taxes, less regulation, or cheaper labour.

    Simple

    He decided to open an offshore bank account while working abroad.

    In context

    The corporation was accused of using offshore subsidiaries to shield its profits from domestic taxation.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adv.moving or located away from the shore.

    adv.in a direction away from the shore or at a distance from the coast.

    Simple

    The boat drifted offshore after the engine stopped working.

    In context

    As the storm intensified, the captain steered the vessel further offshore to avoid being driven onto the rocks.

    seaward
    onshorelandward
  4. 04 C1 Advanced AcademicFormal

    v.to move a company's work or production to another country to save money.

    v.to relocate business processes or production to a foreign country to reduce costs.

    Simple

    Many tech companies offshore their customer service to countries with lower wages.

    In context

    The decision to offshore the manufacturing division led to significant job losses in the local community.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, such as 'production' or 'services'.

    outsourcerelocate
    inshorere shore

Usage offshore wind

BP has answered Donald Trump’s call for oil companies to help rebuild Venezuela’s fossil fuel industry with new plans to develop a large offshore gasfield.

The Guardian· 14 Aug 2026

The UK is richest in one of the more expensive renewable resources - offshore wind.

BBC News· 15 Apr 2026

From off- + shore.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated