What does "offender" mean?

1. (a lawbreaker) a person who commits a crime or breaks a law. 2. (someone who causes upset) someone who does something wrong or breaks a social rule.

offender

US //əˈfɛndɝ// UK //əfˈɛndɐ// of·fend·er

1 a lawbreaker (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Law

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.

Example

The judge decided to give the first-time offender a lighter sentence.

Example

The rehabilitation programme specifically targets repeat offenders who have struggled to reintegrate into the community after serving previous sentences.
- criminal
- lawbreaker
- culprit
2 someone who causes upset (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

someone who does something wrong or breaks a social rule.

a person who causes displeasure or violates a social, moral, or administrative rule.

Example

In this office, anyone who leaves dirty dishes in the sink is the main offender.

Example

While several factors contribute to the decline in local bird populations, habitat loss remains the primary offender in this ecological crisis.
- wrongdoer
- transgressor

Origin

From Middle English offendour, offender, offendir, equivalent to offend + -er.