Offworld

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Pronunciation: /ɒfˈwɜː(ɹ)ld/

Definitions

1. Pertaining to places or activities occurring beyond Earth's surface or atmosphere
2. Connected with locations that exist outside our planet or beyond its atmospheric boundary
3. Describing anything that involves or originates from outside the Earth or its air envelope

Etymology: "Offworld" is a simple compound: "off" plus "world," with the sense of being away from a home world. Its formation follows the pattern of "offshore," which describes something located away from the coast, out at sea. Just as "offshore" placed an activity beyond the shoreline, "offworld" places it beyond the planet. The word is most closely associated with science fiction, where it is used for colonies, workers, and travel beyond Earth. Its ready adoption in that setting comes from how neatly the two parts combine into a single, easily understood idea of being away from the home planet.