offender

[ uh-fen-der ]

noun

1. someone who has violated a criminal, religious, or moral law:

   The program aids individuals already in the criminal justice system and is geared toward nonviolent offenders.

2. a person or thing that irritates, annoys, or angers:

   Some of us tried to take matters into our own hands by confronting the noise pollution offenders, but they were entirely unwilling to quiet down.

3. something that is disagreeable:

   If you’re curious about the odor, I’m afraid you’ll find that the offender is a catbox that has not been emptied recently.

Other Words From

• non·of·fend·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of offender¹

offend ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Foreign offenders facing deportation can be a awarded a resettlement grant of up to £1,500 if they co-operate with the removal process.

From BBC

Savile was one of Britain’s most notorious and prolific sex offenders.

From BBC

Police were initially called to the scene after the offenders crashed through a security barrier at the farm gate on the way out, which caught the attention of staff.

From Salon

The man behind the infamous Wonka experience in Glasgow has been put on the sex offenders register after bombarding a woman with explicit pictures.

From BBC

"It quickly became apparent that there was a real potential for duplication for forces as victims were reporting multiple offenders across different geographical areas."

From BBC

Related Words

• convict
• criminal
• culprit
• delinquent
• felon
• lawbreaker
• suspect