From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Offense \Of*fense"\, Offence \Of*fence"\, n. [F., fr. L.
offensa. See {Offend}.]
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. --Rom. iv. 25.
[1913 Webster]
I have given my opinion against the authority of two
great men, but I hope without offense to their
memories. --Dryden.
[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. --Sir P.
Sidney.
[1913 Webster]
3. A cause or occasion of stumbling or of sin. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Woe to that man by whom the offense cometh! --Matt.
xviii. 7.
[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. (Sports) 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]
Note: 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]
{To take offense}, to feel, or assume to be, injured or
affronted; to become angry or hostile.
{Weapons of offense}, those which are used in attack, in
distinction from those of defense, which are used to
repel.
[1913 Webster]
Syn: Displeasure; umbrage; resentment; misdeed; misdemeanor;
trespass; transgression; delinquency; fault; sin; crime;
affront; indignity; outrage; insult.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
offense
n 1: a lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others;
wounding the feelings or others [syn: {discourtesy},
{offense}, {offence}, {offensive activity}]
2: a feeling of anger caused by being offended; "he took offence
at my question" [syn: {umbrage}, {offense}, {offence}]
3: (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered
an evil act; "a long record of crimes" [syn: {crime},
{offense}, {criminal offense}, {criminal offence}, {offence},
{law-breaking}]
4: the team that has the ball (or puck) and is trying to score
[syn: {offense}, {offence}] [ant: {defence}, {defending
team}, {defense}]
5: the action of attacking an enemy [syn: {offense}, {offence},
{offensive}]
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