THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Off the record
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
Said with the intention that it will not be publicly reported or officially recorded.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- She asked whether she could share an opinion off the record.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
She asked whether she could share an opinion ________.
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Off the record — Said with the intention that it will not be publicly reported or officially recorded.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Off the record” about your own life.
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Does your sentence match this meaning?
Said with the intention that it will not be publicly reported or officially recorded.
Compare: She asked whether she could share an opinion off the record.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use this expression when discussing comments intended to stay outside a public or official account. It is common in interviews and workplace conversations.
More examples in context
- The interviewer agreed that the background conversation would be off the record.
- He described the comment as an off-the-record remark.
Usage note
Use hyphens before a noun: “an off-the-record comment”. The phrase expresses an intended restriction; saying it alone does not guarantee that another person has agreed to keep the information private.
A short conversation
A: Could I give you some background off the record?
B: Let’s agree on what that means before you continue.
A: I don’t want these comments included in the published interview.
One more practice question
What does a speaker usually intend by saying a comment is off the record?
A. It should be quoted publicly with their name.
B. It should not be publicly reported.
Check your answer
B. The expression signals an intention to keep the comment out of the public report.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.