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Illegal vs Offensive - What's the difference?

illegal | offensive |

As an adjective illegal

is illegal; not permitted by law.

As a noun offensive is

offensive (posture of attacking or being able to attack).

illegal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)
  • , volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal , and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.}}
  • Forbidden by established rules.
  • (philately, of an issue printed for collectors) Totally fictitious, and often issued on behalf of a non-existent territory or country.
  • .
  • # (chiefly, US, sometimes, offensive) Being an illegal immigrant; residing in a country illegally.
  • Usage notes

    The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive.https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/03-5

    Synonyms

    * (forbidden by law) criminal, felonious, illicit, unlawful * (totally fictitious) bogus

    Antonyms

    * (forbidden by law) lawful, legal

    Derived terms

    * illegal alien * illegal immigrant

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial, offensive) An illegal immigrant.
  • An illegal resident spy.
  • * 2012 , , ‘Colder War’, Literary Review , issue 399:
  • Anna Chapman, whose glamorous appearance won her more publicity in the Western media than all the other illegals combined, was so successfully deceived by a US sting operation that she handed over her SVR laptop to an FBI agent posing as a Russian.

    Usage notes

    The use of "illegal" to describe a person rather than an action is often regarded as offensive, and the use of "illegal" as a noun is especially charged.

    References

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    offensive

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.
  • Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author= Ed Pilkington
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=6, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= ‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told , passage=In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.}}
  • Having to do with play directed at scoring.
  • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "offensive" is often applied: content, material, language, word, comment, remark, statement, speech, joke, humor, image, picture, art, behavior, conduct, act, action. * When the second syllable is emphasized, "offensive" is defined as "insulting". When the first syllable is emphasized, it refers to the attacker of a conflict or the team in a sport who possesses the ball.

    Synonyms

    * aggressive * invidious (Intending to cause envious offense)

    Antonyms

    * inoffensive (not causing offense or disgust ) * defensive (relating or causing defence )

    Derived terms

    * offensiveness

    Noun

  • (countable, military) An attack.
  • The Marines today launched a major offensive .
  • (uncountable) The posture of attacking or being able to attack.
  • He took the offensive in the press, accusing his opponent of corruption.