offensive

English

Etymology

From French offensif, from Latin as if *offensivus, from 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 feminists 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”, 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

• invidious (Intending to cause envious offense)

Derived terms

• offensiveness

Related terms

• offend

Translations

causing offense

• Bulgarian: оскърбителен (bg) (oskǎrbítelen), обиден (bg) (obíden)
• Catalan: ofensiu m, ofensiva f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 有攻擊性 (zh), 有攻击性 (yoǔgōngjīxìng), 冒犯的 (zh) (màofàn de)

• Czech: urážlivý (cs) m
• Dutch: weerzinwekkend (nl), walgelijk (nl), beledigend (nl)
• Finnish: hyökkäävä, päällekäyvä, loukkaava (hurtful)
• French: offensant (fr)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: beleidigend (de)
• Greek: προσβλητικός (el) (prosvlitikós)

• Japanese: 攻撃的な (こうげきてきな, kōgekiteki na), 侮辱的な (ぶじょくてきな, bujokuteki na)
• Maori: weriweri, hākiki, mataharehare
• Portuguese: ofensivo (pt) m, ofensiva (pt) f
• Romanian: ofensant (ro) m, n, ofensantă f
• Russian: оскорбительный (ru) (oskorbítelʹnyj), обидный (ru) (obídnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: oilbheumach
• Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
• Slovene: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: ofensivo (es) m, ofensiva f
• Swedish: stötande (sv)
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can

relating to attack, offense

• Greek: επιθετικός (el) (epithetikós)

team sports: having to do with play directed at scoring

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 進攻性的, 进攻性的 (jìngōngxìng de)

• Dutch: aanvallend (nl), offensief (nl)
• Finnish: hyökkäävä, hyökkäys-
• French: offensif (fr) m, offensive (fr) f

• German: offensiv (de)
• Italian: offensivo (it)
• Russian: наступательный (ru) (nastupátelʹnyj)
• Spanish: ofensivo (es)

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

an attack

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 進攻 (zh), 进攻 (jìngōng), 攻勢, 攻势 (zh) (gōngshì)

• Dutch: offensief (nl) n, aanval (nl) m, inval (nl) m
• Finnish: hyökkäys (fi), offensiivi
• French: offensive (fr) f

• German: Offensive (de) f
• Igbo: offensive
• Japanese: 攻撃 (ja) (こうげき, kōgeki), 攻勢 (こうせい, kōsei)
• Romanian: ofensivă (ro) f, atac (ro) n
• Russian: наступление (ru) n (nastuplénije), атака (ru) f (atáka)
• Serbo-Croatian: офанзива f, ofanziva f

posture of attack

• Dutch: klaar om aan te vallen
• Finnish: hyökkäyskanta: pysyä hyökkäyskannalla (stay on the offensive)
• French: offensive (fr) f

• Italian: offensiva (it) f
• Romanian: ofensivă (ro) f

External links

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

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French

Adjective

offensive

1. feminine form of offensif

Noun

offensive f (plural offensives)

1. An offensive (military attack).

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Italian

Adjective

offensive f

1. feminine plural of offensivo

Noun

offensive f

1. plural form of offensiva