Other forms: offenders
An offender is a person who has broken the rules or the law. A first-time offender, a persistent offender, young offenders.
It is the neutral criminal-justice term, and young offender, repeat offender and sex offender are the standard categories. Offender management is the whole system of supervision after conviction. Outside the law it is used lightly: the worst offender is the newest machine — meaning whatever is most at fault. Note offend, offence; and that offender describes what somebody did rather than what they are, which is the point of using it.
1nounoffenderA person who has broken the rules or the law.
“Repeat offenders will lose their driving licence for a year.”
2nounwhateverWhatever is most at fault in a situation.
“The worst offender is the newest machine in the room.”
offender is a rule-breaker.
Latin offendere means to strike against — ob- plus fendere, to strike. An offender is somebody who has struck against a rule, which is a more physical image than the modern legal word suggests.
Middle English
offendour
English, today
offender
From Middle English offendour, offender, offendir, equivalent to offend + er.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA