inoffensive
adjective
in·of·fen·sive
ˌin-ə-ˈfen(t)-siv 
1
: causing no harm or injury
2
a
: giving no provocation : peaceable
b
: not objectionable to the senses
inoffensively
adverb
inoffensiveness
noun
Examples of inoffensive in a Sentence
The priest was a mild-mannered inoffensive fellow.
an inoffensive little joke at the opening of his speech
Recent Examples on the Web
All of the accessories feel well-built and feature inoffensive, bordering on bland, designs.
—
Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
That approach amps up the comedy, especially the prevailing idea that the largely inoffensive Chad could be any kind of real threat to the staid little onstage community.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
So this episode served as the Gang's uproarious middle finger to a television industry that prefers more middle-of-the-road, inoffensive crowd-pleasers, as the Paddy's crew swallowed their pride and entered the Annual Bar Association's best bar in Philly contest.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
The party scenes with leggy dancers, meant to be decadent, are inoffensive.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Iyaz Akhtar, PC Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
That approach amps up the comedy, especially the prevailing idea that the largely inoffensive Chad could be any kind of real threat to the staid little onstage community.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
So this episode served as the Gang's uproarious middle finger to a television industry that prefers more middle-of-the-road, inoffensive crowd-pleasers, as the Paddy's crew swallowed their pride and entered the Annual Bar Association's best bar in Philly contest.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
The party scenes with leggy dancers, meant to be decadent, are inoffensive.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inoffensive
Cite this Entry
“Inoffensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inoffensive. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inoffensive
adjective
in·of·fen·sive
ˌin-ə-ˈfen(t)-siv
: not offensive or harmful
inoffensively
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share