off-base

[ awf-beys, of- ]

adjective

1. located outside the perimeters of a military base:

   off-base housing for officers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of off-base¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

Wrong, relying on a mistaken premise, as in His description of the accounting system was totally off base . This metaphoric term originated in baseball, where a runner who steps off a base can be put out. [c. 1940]

Example Sentences

Live Nation says the arguments are off-base and will probably fail in court.

From Los Angeles Times

Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, who was based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, was in his off-base apartment in Fort Walton Beach when the shooting happened on May 3.

From Seattle Times

In a paper published Monday in “The Anatomical Record,” an international team of paleontologists, neuroscientists and behavioral scientists argue that Herculano-Houzel’s assumptions about brain cavity size and corresponding neuron counts were off-base.

From Los Angeles Times

Voting rights advocates have argued the elections office’s legal interpretations have been way off-base.

From Seattle Times

The public will again see light rail trains parked off-base, this time by necessity.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• erroneous
• inaccurate
• mistaken
• sadly mistaken
• wrong