off-worldadv.adj.n.
/ˌɒfˈwəːld/, U.S. /ˈˌɔfˈwərld/, /ˈˌɑfˈwərld/ (in senses B., C. also)Brit. /ˈɒfwəːld/, U.S. /ˈɔfˌwərld/, /ˈɑfˌwərld/ Science Fiction.
A. adv.
Away from earth, or any place treated within a given fictional context as the native world; on or towards another world or planet.
ΚΠ
1943 C. L. Moore in Astounding Sci.-fiction Aug. 11/2 The emperor was silent, looking at her from under his brows. After a slightly uncomfortable pause, the girl turned away. ‘I'm leaving,’ she said briefly. ‘Where?’ ‘Off-world.’
1962 ‘C. Smith’ Ballad of Lost C'mell in Space Lords (1969) 148 Human law..simply defined them as ‘homunculi’ and gave them a legal status close to animals or robots. Real people from off-world were always called ‘hominids’.
1974 U. K. Le Guin Dispossessed i. 11 I was given the honor of attending you because of my experience with other visitors from offworld, the ambassadors from Terra and from Hain.
1988 ‘C. J. Cherryh’ Cyteen 76 Tell me how it works when it comes time for Jordan to go off-world.
1992 World Monitor Mar. 36/1 Earth-dwellers might..benefit from the relocation of hazardous industry and materials ‘off-world’.
B. adj.
Of or relating to another world; originating from or located in a place outside one's native world or planet.
ΚΠ
1950 B. I. Kahn in Astounding Sci. Fiction Aug. 85/2 The Ermesian vessel was much closer now. A ship with a weapon this far out meant an off-world patrol. Planets not expecting trouble would have no reason for watchful expectancy.
1976 C. Holland Floating Worlds (1977) 178 If any of the rAkellaron [sic] want off-world markets arranged, we have to do it through you, don't we?
1986 D. Carey Battlestations! iii. 34 Since space travel had become common and the discovery of marvelous off-world resorts whetted Earth Folks' appetites, the tourist trade had fallen off to a trickle.
1993 Locus Oct. 59/1 The offworld Winthrop family finally make a new expedition to see if Earth is still uninhabitable, as history reports.
C. n.
A place away from earth, or a particular planet or world regarded as the native world; another world or planet. rare.
ΚΠ
1987 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 5 Apr. 23/1 Ford plays a down-and-dirty police assassin, who has been sent into this underworld to find humanoid robots who have escaped from the offworld and come to earth to find their inventor.
1995 Columbian (Nexis) 30 Oct. a9 They centered the action on an offworld called Goblin.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adv.adj.n.1943