Criminal vs Offense - What's the difference?
criminal | offense |
Being against the law; forbidden by law.
* Addison
Guilty of breaking the law.
* Rogers
Of or relating to crime or penal law.
* Hallam
(figuratively) Abhorrent or very undesirable, even if allowed by law.
A person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.
* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
, title=(The China Governess)
, chapter=3 (en noun) (US)
The act of offending:
# a crime or sin
#* {{quote-book, year=2006, author=
, title=Internal Combustion
, chapter=2 # an affront, insult or injury.
#* Dryden
The state of being offended or displeased; anger; displeasure.
) A strategy and tactics employed when in position to score; ''contrasted with defense.
) The portion of a team dedicated to scoring when in position to do so; ''contrasted with defense.
As an adjective criminal
is being against the law; forbidden by law.As a noun criminal
is a person who is guilty of a crime, notably breaking the law.As a verb offense is
.criminal
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- Foppish and fantastic ornaments are only indications of vice, not criminal in themselves.
- The neglect of any of the relative duties renders us criminal in the sight of God.
- The officers and servants of the crown, violating the personal liberty, or other right of the subject were in some cases liable to criminal process.
- His long criminal record suggests that he is a dangerous man.
- ''Printing such asinine opinions without rebuttal is criminal , even when not libel!
Usage notes
* Nouns to which "criminal" is often applied: law, justice, court, procedure, prosecution, intent, case, record, act, action, behavior, code, offence, liability, investigation, conduct, defense, trial, history, responsibility, lawyer, tribunal, appeal, process, background, mind, conspiracy, evidence, gang, organization, underworld, jurisprudence, offender, jury, police, past, group, punishment, attorney, violence, report, career, psychology.Synonyms
* illegalDerived terms
* criminal conversation * criminalisation * criminalist * criminalistics * criminality * criminalize * criminal law * criminal-law * criminally * criminal negligence * criminalness * criminal-offence * criminal offence * criminal procedure * criminal recordNoun
(en noun)citation, passage=‘[…] There's every Staffordshire crime-piece ever made in this cabinet, and that's unique. The Van Hoyer Museum in New York hasn't that very rare second version of Maria Marten's Red Barn over there, nor the little Frederick George Manning—he was the criminal Dickens saw hanged on the roof of the gaol in Horsemonger Lane, by the way—’}}
Synonyms
* lawbreaker * offender * perpetrator * See alsooffense
English
(wikipedia offense)Alternative forms
* (British standard spelling) offenceNoun
citation, passage=The popular late Middle Ages fictional character Robin Hood, dressed in green to symbolize the forest, dodged fines for forest offenses and stole from the rich to give to the poor. But his appeal was painfully real and embodied the struggle over wood.}}
- I have given my opinion against the authority of two great men, but I hope without offence to their memories.