offense

American  

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

British, offence

noun

• offenses
  plural

1. a violation or breaking of a social or moral rule; transgression; sin.

   Synonyms:

   fault, felony, trespass

2. a transgression of the law; misdemeanor.

   Synonyms:

   fault, felony, trespass

3. a cause of transgression or wrong.

4. something that offends or displeases.

5. the act of offending or displeasing.

6. the feeling of resentful displeasure caused.

   to give offense.

   Synonyms:

   wrath, resentment, umbrage, indignation

   Antonyms:

   pleasure

7. the act of attacking; attack or assault.

   weapons of offense.

   Synonyms:

   aggression

   Antonyms:

   defense

8. a person, army, etc., that is attacking.

   Synonyms:

   foe, enemy

9. Sports.

   1. the players or team unit responsible for attacking or scoring in a game.

   2. the players possessing or controlling the ball, puck, etc., or the aspects or period of a game when this obtains.

   3. a pattern or style of scoring attack.

      single-wing offense; fast-break offense.

   4. offensive effectiveness; ability to score.

      a total breakdown in offense.

10. Archaic. injury, harm, or hurt.

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offense Idioms  

1. see no offense; take offense.

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Synonym Usage

See crime.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-offense
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• offenses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of offense

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English offence, offense; in part from Middle French offens, from Latin offēnsus “collision, knock,” equivalent to offend(ere) ( see offend) + -tus suffix of verb action; in part from Middle French offense, ultimately from Latin offēnsa, feminine past participle of offendere

Explanation

The part of a team that tries to score points is called the offense. If you play forward on a soccer team, you are on offense. If you offend someone — that is you cause them to be upset because of your actions or words — then you may need to apologize for the offense. After all, you meant no offense when you said that disco was dead. How were you to know the guy still loved the '70s? In the eyes of the law, an offense is a crime.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

offense offenses

And it hardly appears to be a fluke with an offense that has regressed in back-to-back seasons after winning the Super Bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

But over the course of the next 10 plays, Stafford managed to march the offense 98 yards to bring the Rams within three.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

But the issue for a prosecutor is whether this rises to the level of a criminal offense.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Their offense has sputtered and wheezed, even as their defense has done its part to keep them in games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

But I took offense at the creature’s tone.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth

Since then, there have been 6,409 arrests for criminal offenses related to US military personnel, according to Okinawa Prefectural Government.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The prison holds a mix of inmates including those convicted of violent as well as white-collar offenses such as corruption.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

The bulking philosophy is out of step with the modern game, where most young coaches spend their time drawing up space-age offenses and recruiting lightning-fast players to execute them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

They’re distrupting offenses similar to the lineman group that was at Santa Margarita last season during the Eagles’ successful Division 1 title run.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

“Apparently you are afraid of someone who has some contact with reality, who can truthfully describe to you the offenses which you have committed to canvas.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• breach
• crime
• infraction
• misdeed
• misdemeanor
• sin
• transgression
• wrongdoing