off the reservation

prepositional phrase

Violating rules or decorum; out of bounds.

Similar
beyond the pale
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticViolating rules or decorum; out of bounds.

    Synonyms: beyond the pale

  2. USgovernmentHaving broken with one's party or group, usually temporarily.

    While politicians remained blackballed on opening night, the Clintonites' search for "real people" was not limited to the obscure. Thomason floated Billy Graham's name, but Hillary worried that he might get off the reservation on abortion.

    1999, Martin Plissner, The Control Room: How Television Calls the Shots in Presidential Elections

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseViolating rules or decorum; out of bounds.

Similar
beyond the pale
Also see
beyond the paleover the line

Origin

From go off the reservation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

off the reservation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20reservation

MLA

“off the reservation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20reservation. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “off the reservation,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/off%20the%20reservation.

Source: off the reservation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.