offensive

1 of 2

adjective

of·​fen·​sive ə-ˈfen(t)-siv How to pronounce offensive (audio)
especially for sense 1
ˈä-ˌfen(t)- How to pronounce offensive (audio)
ˈȯ-
1
a
: making attack : aggressive
The bear made offensive movements.
b
: of, relating to, or designed for attack
offensive weapons
c
: of or relating to an attempt to score in a game or contest
offensive maneuvers
also : of or relating to a team in possession of the ball or puck
offensive linemen
2
: giving painful or unpleasant sensations : nauseous, obnoxious
an offensive odor
3
: causing displeasure or resentment
offensive remarks
offensively adverb
offensiveness noun

offensive

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act of an attacking party
2
: attack

Examples of offensive in a Sentence

Adjective He made some offensive remarks. An offensive odor was coming from the basement. Noun the primary offensive by the ground forces will commence at dawn tomorrow
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Williams also played behind a worse offensive line, as evidenced by his 68 sacks taken to Love's 14. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025 While the videos are offensive, and there’s nothing to be said in defense of using such language, some have called the backlash counterproductive, especially considering the show’s history of bullying behavior by fans. Sam Reed, Glamour, 7 July 2025
Noun
And then there is fellow Californian Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration offensive. Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025 Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is led by medical professionals employed by the Hamas government. Wafaa Shurafa, arkansasonline.com, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for offensive

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French offensif, borrowed from Medieval Latin offensīvus "used for attacking, causing injury," from Latin offensus, past participle of offendere "to strike against, break a rule, offend" + -īvus -ive

Noun

derivative of offensive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1564, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of offensive was circa 1564

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Offensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offensive. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

offensive

1 of 2 adjective
of·​fen·​sive ə-ˈfen(t)-siv How to pronounce offensive (audio)
1
a
: relating to or made or suited for attack
offensive weapons
b
: of or relating to the attempt to score in a game or contest
the offensive team
2
: causing painful or unpleasant sensations
an offensive smell
3
: causing displeasure or resentment
an offensive remark
offensively adverb
offensiveness noun

offensive

2 of 2 noun
1
: the state or attitude of one who is making an attack
on the offensive
2

Legal Definition

offensive

adjective
of·​fen·​sive ə-ˈfen-siv How to pronounce offensive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or designed for attack
offensive weapons
2
: causing displeasure or resentment
especially : contrary to a particular or prevailing sense of what is decent, proper, or moral
depicted sexual acts in a patently offensive way
see also obscene
offensively adverb
offensiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on offensive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!