- 1a person who commits a crime a persistent/serious/violent, etc. offender a young offender institution see first offender, sex offender
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- 2a person or thing that does something wrong The report on sexual discrimination at work shows that some of the worst offenders are women. When it comes to pollution, the chemical industry is a major offender.
Check pronunciation: offender