Meaning & use
an offset
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Meanings
nouncountable
Something that balances or makes up for a cost, loss, or harmful effect.
Grammar: Countable: you can talk about 'an offset', 'offsets', or 'a partial offset'.
Patterns
- an offset to something
- an offset against something
- as an offset for something
The extra holiday is an offset to the long hours she works.
Planting trees acts as an offset to the company's carbon emissions.
The discount was offered as an offset against the delivery delay.
nouncountablefinance
An amount taken from a total to reduce what must be paid or counted.
Grammar: Often used in finance and accounting: 'a tax offset', 'an offset on the price'.
Patterns
- a tax offset
- an offset on something
- an offset of $500
The bank applied an offset of $200 to my account.
Families with children receive a tax offset at the end of the year.
The final bill includes an offset for the deposit we already paid.
nouncountabletechnical
A small distance by which one thing is moved out of line with another.
Grammar: Technical use: often 'an offset of' plus a measurement.
Patterns
- an offset of 10 cm
- a slight offset
The printer leaves a slight offset between the colors.
Measure the offset of the two pipes before joining them.
Word forms
| plural | offsets |
|---|
Common combinations
- carbon offset
- The airline lets passengers buy a carbon offset for their flight.
- tax offset
- Low earners may qualify for a small tax offset.
- as an offset to
- He took extra days off as an offset to the weekend work.
- a partial offset
- The grant is only a partial offset to the rising costs.
- an offset against
- Keep the receipts as an offset against your taxable income.
Synonyms and how they differ
- compensation
- Use 'compensation' when someone is paid or given something for a loss; 'offset' is more neutral and often used in accounting or environmental contexts.
- counterbalance
- 'Counterbalance' stresses that two forces balance each other; 'offset' stresses that one thing cancels part of a cost or effect.
- allowance
- An 'allowance' is a set amount you are permitted; an 'offset' is an amount subtracted to reduce a total.
Opposites
Word family
- offset verb
- To balance or cancel the effect of something.
- offsetting noun
- The act of balancing one cost or effect against another.
Commonly confused: an offset or onset? an offset or upset?
an offset vs onset
'Onset' means the beginning of something, especially an illness; 'offset' means a balancing amount or a small shift.
an offset vs upset
'Upset' means to make someone unhappy or to knock something over; it sounds similar but has no balancing meaning.
Practice
The company planted 500 trees as an offset ___ its carbon emissions.
Choose one answer.
'An offset to something' is the standard pattern when one thing balances another. 'An offset of' would introduce an amount or measurement, and 'for' is used with 'compensation', not with 'offset to' in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an offset”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.