Offense or Offence | Difference & Example Sentences
Offence and offense are two different spellings of the same word, a noun used to refer to a crime or breach of rule, the state of being insulted, or a sports position intended to score on an opponent.
The spelling tends to vary based on whether you’re writing in UK or US English:
- In UK English, ‘offence’ (with a ‘c’) is standard.
- In US English, ‘offense’ (with an ‘s’) is more common.
Some members of the audience took offence/offense to the young comedian’s jokes.
When he was in college, Darren played offence/offense for the football team.
Table of contents
Offensive
Offensive (with an ‘s’) is an adjective used to describe something as ‘causing displeasure’ or ‘intended for offence/offense’. It can also be used as a noun to refer to a military attack.
‘Offensive’ and the related adverb ‘offensively’ are always spelled with an ‘s’. ‘Offencive’ is never correct.
The military offensive had a devastating effect on the city.
No offense or no offence
No offence/offense is a phrase used to indicate that you do not intend to insult someone. It means the same whether written with an ‘s’ or a ‘c’.
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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Definitions
US vs. UK spellings
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Ryan, E. (2023, March 14). Offense or Offence | Difference & Example Sentences. Scribbr. Retrieved 22 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/uk-vs-us/offense-or-offence/
