Offense meaning

ə-fĕns
offenses
See word origin
Frequency:
Offense is a breaking of a rule or something that angers or displeases.

An example of offense is running a red light.

An example of offense is a rude comment.

noun
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Any violation of the law for which the judicial code demands there be a penalty, including misdemeanors and felonies. See also crime.
noun
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Something that outrages moral sensibilities.

Genocide is an offense to all civilized humans.

noun
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The act of attacking or assaulting.
noun
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Something that causes sinning or wrongdoing.
noun
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An offending.
  • The act of breaking a law; sin or crime; transgression.
  • The act of creating resentment, hurt feelings, displeasure, etc.
noun
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The act of offending:
noun
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The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
noun
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(team sports) (often IPA: /ˈɒ fɛns/) A strategy and tactics employed when in position to score; contrasted with defense.
noun
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(team sports) (often IPA: /ˈɒ fɛns/) The portion of a team dedicated to scoring when in position to do so; contrasted with defense.
noun
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The condition of being offended, esp. of feeling hurt, resentful, or angry; umbrage.
noun
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Something that causes resentment, anger, etc.
noun
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The act of attacking or assaulting; aggression.
noun
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The person, army, etc. that is attacking.
noun
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give offense
  • To offend; anger, insult, etc.
idiom
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on offense
  • Engaged in an attempt to score against an opposing team.
idiom
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take offense
  • To become offended; feel hurt, angry, etc.
idiom
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Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

give offense
on offense

Origin of offense

  • Middle English from Old French ofense from Latin offēnsa from feminine past participle of offendere to offend offend

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury").

    From Wiktionary

Offense Sentence Examples

  • You may take offense or not but I always stick to mother truth.

  • Just two of us.  Um, no offense, but I think you and I should go.

  • No offense, but I'm under the impression the others didn't have a chance to object.

  • Yeah, well no offense taken.

  • No offense, but I did both for Rhyn.

More sentences →

Related articles

Also Mentioned In

Words near offense in the Dictionary