offender

One who gives or causes offense, or does something wrong.

Noun

  1. One who gives or causes offense, or does something wrong.
    • Almost all down trains are late, however; the empty wagon trains are probably the worst offenders and one or two hours' late running by them is not unusual. - 1961 March, Warren Smith, “The problems of train regulation...
  2. A person who commits an offense against the law, a lawbreaker.

Origin

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

Forms

offenders offendor offendour

Derived

habitual offender juvenile offender main offender multioffender non-offender offendress repeat offender sex offender sexual offender status offender young offender youthful offender