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to living off-grid

to living off-grid

1 7.1
To live without power, running water, or sewer services
  • idiom
  • /ˈlɪvɪŋ ɔf ɡrɪd/
translation icon : vivir fuera de la red
  • Many people dream of living off-grid to reduce their carbon footprint and become more self-sufficient.

Like maybe it'll just be easier if I just like go off into the English countryside and just kind of live off grid life.

Examples

  • I would lose my mind and just live off grid in a jungle somewhere because everything is a lot.

  • One can maybe watch a little longer if they grow their own food and live off-grid.

    Blog text (15)
  • I have enough saved to get a double-wide and live off-grid.

    Blog text (11)
  • I have enough saved to get a double-wide and live off-grid in Montana.

    Blog text (11)
  • After years of planning, they finally began living off-grid in their self-built cabin deep in the woods.

  • He enjoys living off-grid because it allows him to rely on solar power and his own water collection systems.

Synonyms

off the grid
vsto living off-grid
33 7.2

Living without public electricity, water, or gas and without public services

means the same but is written as three separate words
off-grid
vsto living off-grid
6 6.3

Not using public electricity, water, or phone networks

is the same idea but often framed as a lifestyle choice rather than descriptor

Antonyms

connected
  • Specialized
2.7

Joined to a power outlet or network so it works

How Connected

urban living
1 3.2
ruralism
7.7
to living off-grid
1 7.1

Surface Forms

living off-grid infinitive
lived off-grid past participle
living off-grid present participle
lives off-grid third person singular

Morphology

live + off-grid

The phrase is directly compositional: 'live' (to reside or subsist) combined with 'off-grid' (not connected to public utilities) yields the meaning 'living without utility connections.' This follows straightforward English composition and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The phrase living off-grid paints the picture of a home that is off the grid: a house with no power lines or town pipes, using its own solar panels and rainwater. So, it means 'not connected to public services'.