Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Crimes & Offences

Offence

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/əˈfens/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, offence means: A formal word for an illegal act that the law punishes, from minor ones such as speeding to serious ones such as robbery.

In Turkish: suç, suç teşkil eden fiil

How it is used

The standard word in statutes, charges and court documents: 'commit an offence', 'be charged with an offence', 'a criminal offence'. Lawyers also speak of 'minor offences', 'serious offences' and 'driving offences'. It is countable.

Example sentences

  1. Carrying a knife in public without a good reason is an offence.

  2. He was charged with three offences, including dangerous driving.

  3. It was her first offence, so the court gave her a fine.

Common collocations

  • commit an offence
  • criminal offence
  • minor offence
  • serious offence
  • first offence
  • crimeAn act that breaks the criminal law and can be punished by the state, for example with a fine or prison; used without an article, it also means illegal activity in general.
  • chargeTo formally accuse someone of a particular crime so that the case can go to court; as a noun, a charge is the formal accusation itself.
  • felonyIn the US, a serious crime such as murder, robbery or burglary, usually punishable by more than one year in prison; less serious crimes are misdemeanors.
  • offenderA person who has committed a crime, especially one who has been convicted; the word is common in sentencing, prisons and probation.

More terms: Crimes & Offences

Practise with graded reading

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.