Definition of "offender" []

• One that offends, especially one that breaks a public law: a corrections institution for youthful offenders. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The main offender is Suresh, who has suddenly developed a total fascination with superpowers and whether it would be possible to give superpowers to regular people."
• "“In the event that the life sentence cannot be imposed because the offender is a juvenile, then the Court shall substitute a fixed sentence of 60 years for rape (and other violence against person and sex crimes) and 50 years for crimes soley involving property.”"
• "I agree one needs to punish bad behavior, but for personal insults of the non-lawbreaking sort, mere shunning and avoidance of the offender is a pretty good strategy."