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Glite Dictionary
off-kilter approach

off-kilter approach

8.2
A different, slightly strange way of doing something to get new ideas
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : enfoque poco convencional
  • By taking an off-kilter approach, the artist challenged viewers' expectations.

Examples

  • Some executives are uncomfortable with an off-kilter approach to problem-solving, preferring traditional methods.

  • This is an off-kilter approach!

  • The team's off-kilter approach led to creative solutions that nobody had predicted.

  • I like her off-kilter approach.

  • His off-kilter approach to solving problems often leads to innovative solutions that others overlook.

  • The artist's off-kilter approach to sculpture challenges traditional forms and encourages viewers to think differently.

  • Using an off-kilter approach, the chef combined unexpected ingredients to create a dish that surprised everyone.

Synonyms

out-of-the-box thinking
vsoff-kilter approach
  • Jargon
1 4.6

A way to find new, creative ideas to solve problems

is a general unusual method that may not aim for creative solutions

Antonyms

standard
675 2.7

Generally used and accepted as correct

conventional
175 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

How Conventional

off-kilter approach
  • Informal
8.2

Surface Forms

off-kilter approach singular
off-kilter approaches plural

Morphology

off-kilter + approach

The noun 'approach' is fully transparent, but the adjective 'off-kilter' is a figurative, slightly idiomatic compound (off + kilter) whose exact sense ('askew, unconventional, not quite right') is an extended meaning rather than a strict literal composition. Even if a learner knows 'off' and 'kilter', the usage is somewhat metaphorical and the word 'kilter' itself is infrequent, so the overall phrase is only partially predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Off-kilter approach comes from the image of a picture or object that is tilted and not level, with off meaning 'not' and kilter meaning 'balance'. That's why an off-kilter approach means a 'method' that is unusual or not normal.