Showing results for "offence"

• a variation of offense.

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

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Compare meaning

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

• offence vs. defence

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Explanation

Offence is the British spelling of offense, meaning "a punishable act." If you break a law for the first time, it’s your first offence. The noun offence comes from the Latin word offendere, which means “strike against.” Any time you break a law or a rule it is an offence against that law or rule. Also meaning "rudeness" — or the anger caused by it. In countries like the United States, the preferred spelling is offense, so don't take offense if someone corrects you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offence

Monaco introduced an offence of presumed money laundering to facilitate the prosecution of cases involving suspicious funds.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

The former boyfriend of music sensation Rihanna was handed an eight-month jail term suspended for a year -- meaning he will not be imprisoned unless he commits another offence during the period.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

She described the offence as "a short-term, pressured decision by an elderly man living in difficult circumstances".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

But Pia Sinha, the CEO of Prison Reform Trust, has called for evidence that sanctions will increase attendance and warned the measures will punish relatives of prisoners who "have committed no offence themselves".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

While earnestly wishing to erase from his mind the trace of my former offence, I had stamped on that tenacious surface another and far deeper impression: I had burnt it in.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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