offense
Americannoun
-
offenses
plural
-
a violation or breaking of a social or moral rule; transgression; sin.
-
a transgression of the law; misdemeanor.
-
a cause of transgression or wrong.
-
something that offends or displeases.
-
the act of offending or displeasing.
-
the feeling of resentful displeasure caused.
to give offense.
- Synonyms:
- wrath, resentment, umbrage, indignation
- Antonyms:
- pleasure
-
the act of attacking; attack or assault.
weapons of offense.
- Synonyms:
- aggression
- Antonyms:
- defense
-
a person, army, etc., that is attacking.
-
Sports.
-
the players or team unit responsible for attacking or scoring in a game.
-
the players possessing or controlling the ball, puck, etc., or the aspects or period of a game when this obtains.
-
a pattern or style of scoring attack.
single-wing offense; fast-break offense.
-
offensive effectiveness; ability to score.
a total breakdown in offense.
-
-
Archaic. injury, harm, or hurt.
Synonym Usage
See crime.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing offense
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Words Football Fans Can Master Easily
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address (1865)
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s a bit of a balancing act, though, because it’s got to be tempting to get a look at the offense of coordinator Mike McDaniel outside the structure of a practice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He was originally charged with a misdemeanor, though prosecutors later elevated the offense to a felony.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Her offense is recognizing the truth that differences between men and women are real and substantive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Chargers’ offense will undoubtedly be different under McDaniel — Herbert’s new shotgun stance is proof of that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
They flung insults, took offense, using language like “contempt,” “abuse,” and “revilement” on the floor of Congress.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Under that law, a person can’t be prosecuted for two offenses “based upon the same act or criminal transaction.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
While he wore the headset in Oxford, Kiffin built one of the SEC’s most devastating offenses, piling up 37.3 points per game and transforming an unknown backup quarterback into a Heisman trophy candidate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The appeals to the emergency docket have long outnumbered those to the merits docket, but most are procedural requests or requests to stay execution for capital offenses.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
The types of offenses for each tier vary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The Adams team, then, was charging Jefferson with two serious offenses against the unwritten code of political honor purportedly binding on the leadership class of the revolutionary generation.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
