Offence vs. Offense
The English language has many words that are the same except for the fact that they are spelled differently in different countries or parts of the world. Offence and offense are two different spellings of the exact same word. Let's look at what they mean and which spelling is preferred in the United States versus the rest of the world.
Offense/Offence is a noun that has several meanings.
1. It refers to something that breaks a rule-a law or even an unwritten social rule.
a. The child was guilty of nothing more than the offense/offence of talking while the teacher was talking.
b. The criminal asked the judge to summarize the offenses/offences.
2. It can also be used to refer to the emotion of annoyance or resentment when someone has slighted you.
a. I could tell that Joseph took offense/offence when I told him his shirt was very "loud."
b. That Leslie took offense/offence at the mean words on her locker was obvious when she burst into tears and stormed toward the principal's office.
3. It can also mean the act of attacking, which is why it is used to denote the team that is trying to score in a sporting match.
a. The offense/offence has the ball and is driving down the field.
Either spelling of the word is technically correct. Offense is the spelling that is preferred in the United States, while offence is the spelling that is preferred most everywhere else in the world.
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