offense

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled offence and offences

US /əˈfɛns/ See IPA manual

Freq #3515

Meanings

1

noun
An action that breaks the law; a crime.

Drink-driving is a serious offense in most countries.
2

noun
A feeling of being hurt or upset by something rude.

She took offense at his thoughtless remark.
3

noun
In sport, the team or players trying to score.

Their offense scored three goals in the first half.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · an action that breaks the... crime misdeed

2 noun · a feeling of being hurt or... umbrageoffence

3 noun · in sport, the team or... offenceoffensive

More affront barb burn dis diss insult insultation pejorativeput-downslam slight slur

Word family

Forms offenses

Derived forms cyberoffenseoffensefuloffenselessoffensensitivityoffensible

Related forms crime offend offender offensive sin

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

criminal offense
an act that can be punished under criminal law

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

See all

Etymology

From Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury”).

*gʷʰen- Proto-Indo-European offence Middle English offense Old French offensa Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# offense

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈfɛns/
**Frequency rank:** 3515

## Meanings
1. An action that breaks the law; a crime.
2. A feeling of being hurt or upset by something rude.
3. In sport, the team or players trying to score.

## Examples
- Drink-driving is a serious offense in most countries.
- She took offense at his thoughtless remark.
- Their offense scored three goals in the first half.

## Synonyms
- affront
- barb
- burn
- dis
- diss
- insult
- insultation
- pejorative
- put-down
- slam
- slight
- slur

## Derived Forms
- cyberoffense
- offenseful
- offenseless
- offensensitivity
- offensible

## Related Forms
- crime
- offend
- offender
- offensive
- sin

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷʰen-
- Root: offence
- Root: offense
- Root: offensa

## Etymology
From Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury”).

## AI Etymology
Offense comes from Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰen-, Middle English offence, Old French offense, and Latin offensa. Modern senses include an action that breaks the law; a crime and a feeling of being hurt or upset by something rude. The wider word family includes derivatives such as cyberoffense, offenseful, offenseless, offensensitivity, and offensible and related forms such as crime, offend, offender, and offensive.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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