offense

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əˈfɛns/^[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English offens, offence, borrowed from Old French ofense (“offence, insult, wrong”) and directly borrowed from Latin offensa (“a striking against; an injury, affront”),^[2][3][4][5] the noun use of the feminine past participle of offendere (“to strike against”) (see offend).^[3][2] NODE adds Old French offens, misdeed, from Latin offensus, annoyance.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Hurt, harm or injury; a breach of the law or a sin; and the act of giving displeasure: the late 14th century in Etymonline,^[3] probably 1350–75 in Barnhart.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Displeasure or annoyance, as in take offence, is also from the late 14th century.^[3] The action of attacking is from about 1400,^[3] and in sport the attacking team or side, chiefly American, is by 1894.^[3][6] The adjective offensive meant used for attack in 1547–64 and annoying or insulting from 1576.^[2] Offense is the American spelling and offence the British.^[7][8]

Timeline

• 1350–75 – a wrong.^[2]
• late 14th century – harm; sin; displeasure.^[3]
• c. 1400 – attack.^[3]
• 1894 – in sport, the attacking side.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A breach of a law or rule; a crime or sin.
2. A feeling of hurt or annoyance; resentment: take offense.
3. Something that causes displeasure or outrage.
4. The act of attacking.
5. (US, sports) The team or players trying to score; the attacking side.

Word family

• offenseless

Related words

• offensive
• offend
• offender
• offence
• defense
• fend

Usage notes

The AHD distinguishes offense, the broadest term for a violation of a moral, social or legal code, from crime, sin and error.^[6]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
7. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
8. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press