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Synonyms

first offender

American  

noun

  1. a person convicted of an offense of law for the first time.

first offender British  

noun

  1. a person convicted of any criminal offence for the first time

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of first offender

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That means anyone convicted must serve their entire sentence, can’t be sentenced to probation as a first offender and can’t be paroled unless they have served at least 30 years in prison.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2023

Lord Tyre requested a background report on the first offender ahead of sentencing.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2022

Paul Hodgkins, a Florida man, was the first offender to be sentenced when he received eight months in prison in July for obstructing an official proceeding.

From Fox News • Sep. 3, 2021

"Top Chef" isn't the first offender when it comes to poor vetting and possible casting mistakes like this.

From Salon • Jul. 2, 2021

Young and old are thrown together, the hardened criminal with the youthful "first offender," and with those merely suspected of crime, many of whom will be proved to be innocent.

From Community Civics and Rural Life by Dunn, Arthur William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.