offense
/əˈfɛns/ noun
Forms offenses offence
- noun A crime or sin.
- noun An affront, injury, or insult.
- noun The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
- noun (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed when in position to score; contrasted with defense.
- noun (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to scoring when in position to do so; contrasted with defense.
Synonyms
misdoing transgression wrongdoing crime delict delinquency error malfeasance misdeed misdemeanor peccadillo sin tort tortfeasance veniality villainy wrong dis put-down slight discourtesy offence offensive activity umbrage criminal offense criminal offence law-breaking offensive
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa (“a striking against; displeasure; injury”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of offending in any sense; esp., a crime or a sin, an affront or an injury.
- noun The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
Etymology [F., fr. L. offensa. See Offend.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “offense”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details