Meanings
plural offenses · alternative Australia Canada New Zealand UK offence
- The act of offending.
- UScountableuncountableA crime or sin.
The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.
2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion1 more example
The slave fully appreciates the saying, "where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." When old master's gestures were violent, ending with a threatening shake of the head, and a sharp snap of his middle finger and thumb, I deemed it wise to keep at a respectable distance from him; for, at such times, trifling faults stood, in his eyes, as momentous offenses; and, having both the power and the disposition, the victim had only to be near him to catch the punishment, deserved or undeserved.
1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter 3, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLCSynonyms: misdoing, transgression, wrongdoing, crime, delict, delinquency, error, malfeasance · Antonyms: defence, defense
- UScountableuncountableAn affront, injury, or insult.
Thus I have ventur'd to give my Opinion on this Subject againſt the Authority of tvvo great men, but I hope vvithout offence to either of their Memories, for I both lov'd them living, and reverence them now they are dead.
1680, John Dryden, “The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles”, in Ovid, Ovid’s Epistles, […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLCSynonyms: dis, put-down, slight · Antonyms: defence, defense
- UScountableuncountableThe state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
Synonyms: miff, offendedness, pique, umbrage
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA crime or sin.
nounThe state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings of others
nouna transgression that constitutes a violation of what is judged to be right
nounthe team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinoffensa“a striking against; displeasure; injury”
- Old Frenchoffense
- Middle Englishoffence
- Englishoffense
From Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian обида, нападение
- обида (obida)state of being offended
- нападение (napadenie)strategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- настъпление (nastăplenie)strategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- нападение (napadenie)portion of a team dedicated to scoring
- нарушение (narušenie)act of offending against the law
- престъпление (prestăplenie)act of offending against the law
Catalan ofensa, insult
- ofensaact of offending against manners
- insultact of offending against manners
Danish lovovertrædelse, forseelse
- lovovertrædelseact of offending against the law
- forseelseact of offending against the law
Esperanto ofendo
- ofendoact of offending against manners
Finnish loukkaantuminen, hyökkäys
- loukkaantuminenstate of being offended
- hyökkäysstrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- hyökkääjätportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- hyökkäyspääportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- rikosact of offending against the law
- rikeact of offending against the law
- lainrikkomusact of offending against the law
- loukkausact of offending against manners
French attaque, offensive
- attaquestrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- offensivestrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- attaqueportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- attaquantsportion of a team dedicated to scoring
German beleidigt sein, gekränkt sein
- beleidigt seinstate of being offended
- gekränkt seinstate of being offended
- Vergehenact of offending against the law
Greek θυμός, επίθεση
- θυμός (thymós)state of being offended
- επίθεση (epíthesi)strategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- επίθεση (epíthesi)portion of a team dedicated to scoring
- αδίκημα (adíkima)act of offending against the law
- προσβολή (prosvolí)act of offending against manners
Hebrew עֶלְבּוֹן, הַתְקָפָה
- עֶלְבּוֹן (elbón)state of being offended
- הַתְקָפָה (hatqafá)strategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- הַתְקָפָה (hatqafá)portion of a team dedicated to scoring
- עֲבֵרָה ('averá)act of offending against the law
Hindi वार
- वार (vār)act of offending against the law
Hungarian sértettség, támadás
- sértettségstate of being offended
- támadásstrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- támadásportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- sérelemact of offending against the law
- sértésact of offending against the law
- sértésact of offending against manners
Irish múisiam, aithisiú
- múisiamstate of being offended
- aithisiúact of offending against manners
Latin offensa, offensa
- offensastate of being offended
- offensaact of offending against the law
- offensaact of offending against manners
Malay kesalahan
- kesalahanact of offending against the law
Māori hēanga
- hēangaact of offending against the law
Norwegian forseelse
- forseelseact of offending against the law
Norwegian Bokmål lovovertredelse
- lovovertredelseact of offending against the law
Portuguese ataque, ataque
- ataquestrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- ataqueportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- ofensaact of offending against the law
- delitoact of offending against the law
- transgressãoact of offending against the law
- ofensaact of offending against manners
- insultoact of offending against manners
Romanian ofensivă, atacant
- ofensivăstrategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- atacantportion of a team dedicated to scoring
- ofensăact of offending against the law
- ofensăact of offending against manners
Russian оби́да, оскорбле́ние
- оби́да (obída)state of being offended
- оскорбле́ние (oskorblénije)state of being offended
- нападе́ние (napadénije)strategy and tactics employed when in position to score
- преступле́ние (prestuplénije)act of offending against the law
- правонаруше́ние (pravonarušénije)act of offending against the law
- просту́пок (prostúpok)act of offending against manners
Spanish ofensa
- ofensaact of offending against manners
Swedish kränkthet, lagöverträdelse
- kränkthetstate of being offended
- lagöverträdelseact of offending against the law
- överträdelseact of offending against the law
- kränkningact of offending against manners
Turkish küskünlük
- küskünlükstate of being offended
Ukrainian правопору́шення
- правопору́шення (pravoporúšennja)act of offending against the law
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with offense
Cite this entry
offense. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offense
“offense.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offense. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “offense,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offense.
Source: offense on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.