offenders
n. countable B2 Upper Intermediate US //əˈfɛndɝz// UK //əfˈɛndəz// of·fend·ers
n. people who break a law or a rule. You often hear this word in news stories about crime or when someone does something wrong.
n. persons who commit an illegal act or break a specific rule. Often used in legal or administrative contexts to refer to those who have been convicted of a crime.
The police are looking for the offenders who broke the window.
First-time offenders are often given a warning or a small fine instead of a prison sentence.
The new legislation aims to rehabilitate young offenders by providing them with vocational training and psychological support rather than relying solely on punitive measures.
Usage
Almost always used in the plural when discussing general groups or statistics.