offense
HighFormal and informal; prevalent in legal, sports, military, and everyday contexts.
Definition
Meaning
An act that breaks a law, rule, or moral code; causing hurt, annoyance, or displeasure.
Also: the action of attacking in sports or war; the attacking team in sports; a strategy or system for attacking.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a noun. In American English, also spelled 'offence'. The meaning oscillates between an illegal act and a source of emotional hurt. The sports/military sense is separate and often implies action or strategy.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: UK standard is 'offence' for all meanings. US standard is 'offense'. No meaning difference.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
The word is equally frequent in both dialects, with the spelling difference being the sole distinction.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
commit an offensetake offense at somethinggive offense to someonean offense against something (e.g., decency, the law)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No offense, but...”
- “The best defense is a good offense.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to actions that violate company policy or ethics (e.g., 'His remarks constituted a disciplinary offense').
Academic
Used in legal, sociological, or philosophical discourse (e.g., 'The study analyzed recidivism rates for drug-related offenses').
Everyday
Common in expressing hurt feelings or referring to minor legal violations (e.g., 'I hope you don't take offense', 'A parking offense').
Technical
In sports coaching and military strategy (e.g., 'The team's offense was unstoppable in the second half').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - the verb is 'offend'.
American English
- N/A - the verb is 'offend'.
adverb
British English
- N/A - the adverb is 'offensively'.
American English
- N/A - the adverb is 'offensively'.
adjective
British English
- N/A - the adjective is 'offensive'.
American English
- N/A - the adjective is 'offensive'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He said sorry, so no offense now.
- The football team has a strong offense.
- She took offense when I forgot her birthday.
- Driving without a license is a serious offense.
- The journalist was accused of causing offense with her controversial article.
- The new law created a specific offense for cyberbullying.
- The diplomat's gaffe was deemed an offense against protocol, sparking a minor international incident.
- His legal strategy focused on proving the alleged offense was not within the statute's jurisdiction.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a FENCE being broken (of-FENSE). Breaking a rule or a boundary is an offense.
Conceptual Metaphor
MORALITY/LEGALITY IS CLEANLINESS (a 'stain' on one's record); HURT FEELINGS ARE PHYSICAL INJURY (to be 'wounded' by a remark).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'оффис' (office).
- The sports/military meaning ('атака', 'нападение') is less prominent in Russian usage of the cognate 'оффенсив'.
- The phrase 'take offense' translates to 'обижаться', not a literal taking.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing spelling (offence/offense) based on dialect.
- Using 'offense' as a verb (the verb is 'offend').
- Using 'offensive' (adj.) when 'offense' (noun) is needed.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'offense' in its legal sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Offense' is a broader term for any breach of law or rule, including minor ones (e.g., traffic offense). 'Crime' often implies a more serious, indictable offense.
Use it before or after a potentially critical or blunt statement to soften its impact. E.g., 'No offense, but I think there's a better way to do this.'
Both are correct. 'Offence' is standard in British English. 'Offense' is standard in American English.
Primarily in North American sports like football, basketball, and hockey. In sports like soccer (UK: football), 'attack' or 'attacking side' is more common than 'offense'.
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