1. offence(n = noun.act) offense, offensive - the action of attacking an enemy; Array
is a kind of military operation, operation
has particulars: counteroffensive, dirty war, push back, rollback
2. offence(n = noun.group) offense - the team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score; Array
is a kind of squad, team
Antonym: defence
3. offence(n = noun.feeling) offense, umbrage - a feeling of anger caused by being offended; "he took offence at my question"
is a kind of anger, choler, ire
Derived form verb offend1
4. offence(n = noun.act) discourtesy, offense, offensive activity - a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others; Array
is a kind of behavior, behaviour, conduct, doings
has particulars: derision, ridicule, indelicacy, insolence, affront, insult, presumption, rebuff, slight
5. offence(n = noun.act) crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes"
is a kind of evildoing, transgression
has particulars: barratry, capital offense, cybercrime, felony, forgery, fraud, had crime, highjack, hijack, mayhem, infraction, infringement, misdemeanor, misdemeanour, violation, commission, committal, perpetration, attack, attempt, tazir crime, regulatory offence, regulatory offense, statutory offence, statutory offense, thuggery, high treason, lese majesty, treason, vice crime, victimless crime, war crime
See Offense. [1913 Webster]
1. The act of offending in any sense; esp., a crime or a sin, an affront or an injury. [1913 Webster]
"Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." [1913 Webster]
"I have given my opinion against the authority of two great men, but I hope without offense to their memories." [1913 Webster]
2. The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure; as, to cause offense. [1913 Webster]
"He was content to give them just cause of offense, when they had power to make just revenge." [1913 Webster]
3. A cause or occasion of stumbling or of sin. [1913 Webster]
"Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!" [1913 Webster]
4. In any contest, the act or process of attacking as contrasted with the act of defending; the offensive; as, to go on the offense. [PJC]
5. The members of a team who have the primary responsibility to score goals, in contrast to those who have the responsibility to defend, i.e. to prevent the opposing team from scoring goal. [PJC]
" This word, like expense, is often spelled with a c. It ought, however, to undergo the same change with expense, the reasons being the same, namely, that s must be used in offensive as in expensive, and is found in the Latin offensio, and the French offense." [1913 Webster]
offence, n. (US offense)
1 an illegal act; a transgression or misdemeanour.
2 a wounding of the feelings; resentment or umbrage (no offence was meant).
3 the act of attacking or taking the offensive; aggressive action.
Idiom:
give offence cause hurt feelings. take offence suffer hurt feelings.
Derivative:
offenceless adj.
Etymology:
orig. = stumbling, stumbling-block: ME & OF offens f. L offensus annoyance, and ME & F offense f. L offensa a striking against, hurt, displeasure, both f. offendere (as OB-, fendere fens- strike)