offence

American  

[uh-fens, aw-fens, of-ens] / əˈfɛns, ˈɔ fɛns, ˈɒf ɛns /

noun

British.

1. variant of offense.

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offence British  

/ əˈfɛns /

noun

1. a violation or breach of a law, custom, rule, etc

2. 1. any public wrong or crime

   2. a nonindictable crime punishable on summary conviction

3. annoyance, displeasure, or resentment

4. to cause annoyance or displeasure to someone

5. to feel injured, humiliated, or offended

6. a source of annoyance, displeasure, or anger

7. attack; assault

8. archaic  injury or harm

9. American football

   1. the team that has possession of the ball

   2. the members of a team that play in such circumstances

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Other Word Forms

• offenceless adjective

Compare meaning

How does offence compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• offence vs. defence

Example Sentences

There were some similarities to Andrew Robertson's offside a few weeks ago for Liverpool at Manchester City, as both players ducked under the ball - though Arias was a much clearer offence.

From BBC

Mr Williams, who was represented in court by barrister Graham Arnold, is accused of 21 offences.

From BBC

Prosecutors rejected the claim, saying Han's alleged offence was "extremely egregious".

From Barron's

Another man appeared in court on Friday on separate offences linked to the same incident.

From BBC

There has been a downward trend in the amount of victim-based offences resulting in a charge or summons across England and Wales, according to UK government data.

From BBC