offence

[ uh-fens, aw-fens, of-ens ]

nounBritish.
  1. variant of offense.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use offence in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for offence

offence

US offense

/ (əˈfɛns) /


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

    • any public wrong or crime

    • a nonindictable crime punishable on summary conviction

  1. annoyance, displeasure, or resentment

  2. give offence or give offence to someone to cause annoyance or displeasure to someone

  3. take offence to feel injured, humiliated, or offended

  4. a source of annoyance, displeasure, or anger

  5. attack; assault

  6. archaic injury or harm

  7. the offense (ˈɒfɛns) American football

    • the team that has possession of the ball

    • the members of a team that play in such circumstances

Derived forms of offence

  • offenceless or US offenseless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012