offender
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of offender
Explanation
An offender is a criminal, someone who breaks the law. A first-time offender, depending on the crime, might only have to pay a fine or perform community service. Offender is the way prison inmates and lawbreakers are often referred to in news reports or by police officers and prison staff. You might hear terms like "drug offenders," people arrested for crimes involving illegal drugs, or "juvenile offenders," young people who have broken the law. Offender comes from the verb offend, "to sin against" in the fourteenth century, from the Latin offendere, "to hit or strike against."
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:
He added that the sex offender list was “not punishment” but “a tool for law enforcement to monitor who may potentially cause a risk.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Instead, … the Court asked whether Missouri’s plan to execute the offender was consistent “with the original and historical understanding of the Eighth Amendment.”
From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026
The Gates Foundation has retained law firm WilmerHale to review its ties to the late sex offender, and its findings are expected this summer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
He was told he would also face extended supervision once he was released from a young offender institution.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Press coverage hyped the personal nature of the conflict between the offender and specific victim.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said it was increasing probation and community funding by £700m and making sure offenders who pose the greatest risk receive more face-to-face supervision.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Avon and Somerset Police said it was "increasing the number of specially-trained officers to help manage sex offenders, and introducing more training around unconscious bias and spotting the signs of false compliance".
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
There were also concerns listed in the analysis that the registry, which dates back to 1947, could include LGBTQ+ offenders from decades ago who were convicted of offenses that are no longer crimes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Representatives of law agencies from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain and the United States met in London last week to "share information on suspected offenders, victims and online groups", the NCA said.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
There was nothing official about that date, just a chance remark by Mrs. Floor to the effect that six months was the usual prison term for ration-card offenders.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
