offense

offense — noun

1. an action that breaks a rule of the law and that someone can be punished for in

1.nounB2
Definition

an action that breaks a rule of the law and that someone can be punished for in court.

Example

Driving without a license is a serious offense in most American states.

subject + be + a [adj] offense

Marcus pleaded guilty to three offenses, including theft and dangerous driving.

plead guilty to + offenses

Common collocations
  • criminal offense
  • minor offense
  • serious offense
  • first offense
  • repeat offense
  • commit an offense
Synonyms
  • crime

    everyday word for any illegal act; 'offense' is the more formal legal label

  • violation

    covers breaches of rules or rights too, not only criminal law

  • infraction

    minor offense, especially traffic or workplace rules

Grammar Patterns

commit an offense

offense against [law/person]

Usage Note

Subject is usually the act itself (driving, selling, refusing), and the verb is most often a form of 'be' or 'commit'. American legal English; British texts spell this 'offence'.

Common Mistakes

He did an offense.
He committed an offense.
the standard verb is 'commit', not 'do'.
She was charged for an offense.
She was charged with an offense.
use 'with', not 'for', after 'charge'.

2. a hurt or angry reaction someone has when they feel another person has been rude

2.nounB2
Definition

a hurt or angry reaction someone has when they feel another person has been rude, unfair, or insulting toward them.

Example

Aunt Rosa took offense when nobody tried her birthday cake.

take offense at / when [trigger]

I hope my joke about your accent did not cause any offense.

cause + offense

Common collocations
  • take offense
  • cause offense
  • give offense
  • mean no offense
  • no offense intended
Synonyms
  • insult

    the rude act itself, while 'offense' is the upset feeling it produces

  • umbrage

    very formal; almost only in 'take umbrage at'

  • affront

    formal; an open, deliberate insult that wounds someone's dignity

Antonyms
  • compliment

    remark intended to please rather than to upset

Grammar Patterns

cause / give offense (to sb)

take offense (at sth)

Usage Note

Almost always uncountable in this sense, and almost always appears in the fixed patterns 'take offense (at)', 'cause / give offense (to)', or 'mean no offense'. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about emotional hurt, not breaking the law.

Common Mistakes

She took an offense at my comment.
She took offense at my comment.
no article: this sense is uncountable.
I did not want to make offense.
I did not want to cause / give offense.
pair 'offense' with 'cause' or 'give', not 'make'.

3. in American sports such as football or basketball, the players on a team who are

3.nounC1
Definition

in American sports such as football or basketball, the players on a team who are trying to score, or the way they try to score.

Example

The Chiefs have the strongest offense in the league this season.

the + offense (singular noun)

Coach Wilson told the players to switch from defense to offense.

contrast: defense vs. offense

Common collocations
  • play offense
  • strong offense
  • run an offense
  • the team's offense
Synonyms
  • attack

    British equivalent in soccer and similar team sports

  • offensive line

    narrower: only the players who block in American football

Antonyms
  • defense

    the players or method used to stop the other team from scoring

Grammar Patterns

the offense

play offense

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by 'the' when referring to the players (the offense), but used without an article in the verb phrase 'play offense'. American English only; British speakers use 'attack' for the same idea.

Common Mistakes

He plays in offense.
He plays offense.
no preposition or article in this fixed phrase.
The offenses scored twice.' (referring to one team)
The offense scored twice.
when it means one team's attacking unit, treat it as singular.
Idioms

no offense

idiom

a phrase used right before or after saying something that could upset the listener, to show that the speaker does not want to hurt their feelings.

No offense, but your singing was a little flat during the second song.

take offense (at)

idiom

to feel hurt or angry because of what someone has said or done.

Daniel took offense at the way the waiter spoke to his grandmother.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe acts that break a rule, but their range and register differ. 'Crime' is the everyday word and usually points to serious wrongs (theft, assault, fraud). 'Offense' is the standard term in American legal writing and covers anything from a parking ticket to murder, so it sounds more neutral and technical than 'crime'. 'Violation' is broader still — it works for laws, contracts, human rights, and even safety rules, so a 'safety violation' is not necessarily criminal. 'Infraction' is reserved for the lightest end of the scale: a traffic ticket or a school-uniform breach. 'Misdemeanor' is a specific legal category in the US for less serious offenses punishable by a fine or short jail term, sitting below 'felony'. So a driver might receive a citation for a 'traffic infraction', be charged with the 'misdemeanor offense' of reckless driving, or, in extreme cases, face a serious 'crime'.

offense ↗crime ↗violation ↗infractionmisdemeanor

Common collocations

Nouns

  • offense report
  • offense category
  • offense rate

Phrases

  • commit an offense
  • no offense intended
  • take offense at

Prepositions

  • offense against
  • offense under [law]
  • charged with an offense

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Offense' came into English in the late 1300s through Old French 'offense', which itself traces back to Latin 'offensa', meaning 'a striking against' or 'a stumble'. The Latin root is 'offendere' — 'ob-' (against) plus 'fendere' (to strike). So the original picture is of bumping into something or someone, and from that physical clash the word grew two abstract directions: hurting another person's feelings (sense 2) and breaking a law or rule (sense 1). The American sports meaning (sense 3) is much later — 19th-century American English borrowed the older 'attack' sense and applied it to teams trying to score. American English keeps the spelling 'offense', while British English preserves the French-style 'offence'.