offender

[uh-fen-der]

noun

1. someone who has violated a criminal, religious, or moral law.

   The program aids individuals already in the criminal justice system and is geared toward nonviolent offenders.

2. a person or thing that irritates, annoys, or angers.

   Some of us tried to take matters into our own hands by confronting the noise pollution offenders, but they were entirely unwilling to quiet down.

3. something that is disagreeable.

   If you’re curious about the odor, I’m afraid you’ll find that the offender is a catbox that has not been emptied recently.

Other Word Forms

• nonoffender noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of offender¹

offend ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The announcement comes after a public dispute earlier in the year between the Sentencing Council and the government over pre-sentence reports for offenders from certain minority groups.

From BBC

Inside, officers found devices wrapped in foil - an attempt by offenders to transport stolen devices undetected.

From BBC

Patterson's jail term - one of the longest ever handed to a female offender in Australia - means she will be in her 80s before she is able to apply for parole.

From BBC

One man, aged 44, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and another five men, aged between 24 and 53, have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

From BBC

Eight minutes later, Burnham said "it is believed that the offender is deceased" and the incident "is contained".

From BBC

Related Words

• convict 
• criminal 
• culprit 
• delinquent 
• felon 
• lawbreaker 
• suspect