offense
/əˈfɛns/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: offenses
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The act of offending. — A crime or sin.
NounRegister: US
Examples
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
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
The act of offending. — An affront, injury, or insult.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Hành động gây xúc phạm, tổn thương hoặc sỉ nhục
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
NounRegister: US
Examples
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.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “offense” mean?
The act of offending. — A crime or sin.
Is “offense” formal or informal?
offense is generally US.