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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Elements of Crime & Liability

Offender

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/əˈfendə/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, offender means: A person who has committed a crime, especially one who has been convicted; the word is common in sentencing, prisons and probation.

In Turkish: fail, suçlu, hükümlü

How it is used

Professional and neutral, preferred over 'criminal' in official texts: 'first-time offender', 'repeat offender', 'young offender', 'violent offender'. Probation officers 'work with offenders' and courts 'deal with' them.

Example sentences

  1. As a first-time offender, he was ordered to do unpaid work instead of going to prison.

  2. The programme helps offenders find work after prison.

  3. Repeat offenders usually receive longer sentences.

Common collocations

  • first-time offender
  • repeat offender
  • young offender
  • violent offender
  • offender management
  • perpetratorThe person who actually committed a crime or a harmful act; a formal word used by police, courts and researchers.
  • reoffendTo commit another crime after being punished for an earlier one.
  • probationA sentence or period in which an offender lives in the community instead of prison but must follow rules and meet regularly with a probation officer.
  • criminal recordAn official list of the crimes a person has been convicted of, which employers or authorities may check in some situations.
  • rehabilitationThe process of helping an offender change their behaviour and return to a normal life without committing more crimes.

More terms: Elements of Crime & Liability

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