OFFENDER Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

offender

noun

Definition of offender

as in criminal

a person who has committed a crime juvenile offenders have their criminal records sealed when they turn 18

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of offender His lacerating wit spares no member of his staff—a mix of true incompetents, off-putting savants, ticking time bombs, and onetime offenders prematurely consigned to professional purgatory. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 Penalties increase if offenders cover their faces or someone is injured. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Prosecutors say Morgan is also charged as a habitual offender, fourth offense. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Illinois reacted swiftly to the boys’ arrest for Morse’s murder, enacting a new law that lowered the age to 10 from 13 at which offenders could be sentenced to prison. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 The law did not cover every violent crime and depended partly on whether prosecutors could have sought adult prosecution when the offender was a juvenile. — Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026 World’s Most Evil Prisoners takes a look at offenders doing life sentences, who go on to torture, kidnap and even kill while inside. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 Too often, special occasions can feel like an excuse to buy a new outfit; weddings are the worst offenders. — Corinne Pierre-Louis, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for offender

Noun

This can help prevent criminals from opening new credit accounts using your information.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Ford placed the inmate’s bid for clemency on the agenda of the state pardons board — an example, Lombardo claims, of the way Ford treats criminals.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

Well, unless the Big 12 sees an absolute meltdown over the next 45 days, Texas Tech will undoubtedly be looking back at this performance on the road as the culprit for its season taking a drastic turn.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Hur’s film stops short of naming a culprit, and its critics argue that the open ending implicates Park or his government.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of culprit

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offended

offender

offenders

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“Offender.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offender. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of offender

noun

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