off-center

American  

[awf-sen-ter, of-] / ˈɔfˈsɛn tər, ˈɒf- /

Or off-centered

adjective

1. not centered; diverging from the exact center.

2. unconventional; eccentric.

   off-center characters who disrupt other people's lives.

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Etymology

Origin of off-center

First recorded in 1925–30

Explanation

Off-center things aren't in the exact middle. The part in your hair may be off-center, and so may be your political leanings. The meaning of off-center is fairly obvious: not right in the center, but off to one side. It's frustrating to watch a movie that's projected off-center, and if you're very particular, it might drive you crazy to see a knocker that's off-center on your friend's front door. This adjective also means "a little weird" or "eccentric." An off-center sense of humor is wacky and strange, and if you're feeling off-center, you might be coming down with the flu.

Example Sentences

The latter is notable for its off-center, diagonal composition, which creates the illusion that the space of the painting and that of the church are one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

Cave’s grand piano is on the other side, off-center presumably to give him the room he requires.

From Salon • May 13, 2025

Physicists can adjust the cylinder’s resonant frequency, trying to match and amplify the tiny radio signal from any axions, by repositioning one or two off-center tuning rods.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 20, 2024

Scientists have the first direct evidence that the powerful magnetic fields created in off-center collisions of atomic nuclei induce an electric current in "deconfined" nuclear matter.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2024

There’s a groggy off-center smile on her mouth.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Related Words

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