ENGLISH
REFERENCE

offshore

adj. · adv. · v.
US //ˈɔfˈʃɔɹ// UK //ˈɒfʃɔː// off·shore
  1. 1 located at sea (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    located in the sea, away from the coast.

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

    Example

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

    Example

    Engineers faced significant logistical hurdles while maintaining the offshore drilling platform during the winter storm season.
  2. 2 business/finance (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    The corporation was accused of using offshore subsidiaries to shield its profits from domestic taxation.
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  1. 3 away from land (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    moving or located away from the shore.

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

    Example

    The boat drifted offshore after the engine stopped working.

    Example

    As the storm intensified, the captain steered the vessel further offshore to avoid being driven onto the rocks.
    • seaward
  2. 4 to move work abroad (v.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal

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

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

    Example

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

    Example

    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'.
Origin

From off- + shore.

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