Meaning & use
off-duty
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Not working at a particular time; free from duty.
Grammar: Used before a noun: an off-duty officer. When it follows a verb, write it as two words: He is off duty.
Patterns
- off-duty + noun
An off-duty nurse stopped to help at the accident.
The restaurant gives discounts to off-duty police officers.
He was off-duty when he saw the robbery.
adverb
Not while working; during free time.
Grammar: Usually written as two words: off duty. Comes after a verb: He is off duty.
Patterns
- be off duty
- go off duty
She is off duty until Monday.
The guard went off duty at six o'clock.
I can't answer work calls when I'm off duty.
Common combinations
- off-duty police officer
- An off-duty police officer caught the thief.
- off-duty hours
- He spends his off-duty hours playing guitar.
- be off duty
- The doctor is off duty right now.
- go off duty
- The night shift goes off duty at 7 a.m.
Synonyms and how they differ
- free
- More general; 'off-duty' specifically means not working when you normally would.
- not working
- Plain phrase; 'off-duty' is more formal and often used for uniformed workers.
Opposites
Commonly confused: off-duty or off duty?
off-duty vs off duty
Two words when used after a verb: He is off duty. One word with a hyphen before a noun: an off-duty officer.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Before a noun, use the hyphenated form 'off-duty': an off-duty officer. Without a hyphen, 'off duty' is used after a verb: The officer is off duty.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “off-duty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.