From Middle English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offensa.

• IPA: /əˈfɛns/
• (team sports senses, especially in the U.S.) IPA: /ˈɔf.ɛns/, /ˈɑf.ɛns/)

offense (American spelling)

1. The act of offending.
   1. A crime or sin.
      • 1855, Frederick Douglass, chapter 3, in My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York, Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC ↗:

        The slave fully appreciates the saying, "where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." When old master's gestures were violent, ending with a threatening shake of the head, and a sharp snap of his middle finger and thumb, I deemed it wise to keep at a respectable distance from him; for, at such times, trifling faults stood, in his eyes, as momentous offenses; and, having both the power and the disposition, the victim had only to be near him to catch the punishment, deserved or undeserved.

   2. An affront, injury, or insult.
      • 1681, John Dryden, “The Preface to Ovid’s Epistles ↗”, in Ovid, Ovid's Epistles, […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC ↗, page 26 ↗:

        Thus I have ventur'd to give my Opinion on this Subject againſt the Authority of two great men, but I hope without offence either to their Memories, for I both lov'd them living, and reverence them now they are dead.

2. The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
3. (team sports) A strategy and tactics employed when in position to score; contrasted with defense.
4. (team sports) The portion of a team dedicated to scoring when in position to do so; contrasted with defense.

• See also Thesaurus:offense

• defense (US), defence (Commonwealth)

• offensive
• offend
• offender

• Portuguese: ofensa, delito, transgressão
• Russian: преступле́ние

• Portuguese: ofensa, insulto
• Russian: просту́пок
• Spanish: ofensa, insulto

• German: beleidigt sein, gekränkt sein
• Russian: оби́да

• French: attaque, offensive
• Portuguese: ataque
• Russian: нападе́ние

• French: attaque, attaquants
• Portuguese: ataque