offender
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who commits a crime or breaks a law.
a person who commits an illegal act. Often used with modifiers to describe the frequency or type of crime.
Simple“The judge decided to give the first-time offender a lighter sentence.”
In context“The rehabilitation programme specifically targets repeat offenders who have struggled to reintegrate into the community after serving previous sentences.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
someone who does something wrong or breaks a social rule.
a person who causes displeasure or violates a social, moral, or administrative rule.
Simple“In this office, anyone who leaves dirty dishes in the sink is the main offender.”
In context“While several factors contribute to the decline in local bird populations, habitat loss remains the primary offender in this ecological crisis.”
Synonymswrongdoertransgressor
Usage offenders out of jail
“Bear, of Walthamstow, east London, had been placed on the sex offenders register in 2023 for sharing a private sex tape of Harrison.”
“Q: [From Jack Fenwick from the BBC] Are there other countries where you might send foreign offenders?”
From Middle English offendour, offender, offendir, equivalent to offend + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.