1. To balance or compensate for an effect, disadvantage, or cost.
2. To position something away from a reference line or aligned position.
3. A printing method transferring an image through an intermediate surface before reaching paper.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- offset a loss
- offset a disadvantage
On the page
Reduced travel costs offset the smaller stipend.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- offset
- Past tense
- offset
- Past participle
- offset
- Present participle
- offsetting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- offset
- Present continuous
- am/is/are offsetting
- Present perfect
- have/has offset
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been offsetting
- Past
- offset
- Past continuous
- was/were offsetting
- Past perfect
- had offset
- Past perfect continuous
- had been offsetting
- Future
- will offset
- Future continuous
- will be offsetting
- Future perfect
- will have offset
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been offsetting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: offset; offsets; offset; offset; offsetting. Noun use is uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, qualification. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: offsets.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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