/əˈfendər/
of·fend·er
BrE /əˈfendə(r)/
NAmE /əˈfendər/
(rather formal)
a person who commits a crime
a persistent/serious/violent, etc. offender
a young offender institution
➡ see also first offender, sex offender
a person or thing that does sth wrong
When it comes to pollution, the chemical industry is a major offender.