offensive

See also: Offensive

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle French offensif, from Medieval Latin offensivus, from Latin offendere (“to offend”), past participle offensus; see offend.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /əˈfɛnsɪv/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • (sports): (US) IPA(key): /ˈɔˌfɛnsɪv/

Adjective

offensive (comparative more offensive, superlative most offensive)

  1. Causing offense; arousing a visceral reaction of disgust, anger, or hatred.
    Some people find pornography offensive.
  2. Relating to an offense or attack, as opposed to defensive.
    • 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
      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.
    The army's offensive capabilities. An offensive weapon.
  3. (team sports) Having to do with play directed at scoring.
    The offensive coordinator is responsible for ordering all rushing plays.

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

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

offensive (countable and uncountable, plural offensives)

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

Translations

Further reading

  • offensive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • offensive in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Danish

Adjective

offensive

  1. plural and definite singular attributive of offensiv

French

Adjective

offensive

  1. feminine singular of offensif

Noun

offensive f (plural offensives)

  1. An offensive (military attack).

Further reading

German

Adjective

offensive

  1. inflected form of offensiv

Italian

Adjective

offensive f

  1. feminine plural of offensivo

Noun

offensive f

  1. plural of offensiva
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