LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
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“offensive” in Latin

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

offensive
Causing anger, pain, or disgust, quod offensioni est, offensionem habet or affert: quod offendit, quod non vacat offensione (that is faulty): quod displicet (that displeases): odiosus (that causes scandal): exemplo haud saluber (that sets a bad example): mali or pessimi exempli (that sets a very bad example): Very offensive manners, mores pessimi, perditi: offensive language, voces lascivae (licentious), protervae (wanton), obscenae (obscene), contumeliosae (injurious to the eredit of anyone): to use offensive language to anyone, conscelerare aures alicujus: to be offensive, offensioni esse; offensionem or offensam habere; offensionem affeire: to any one, alicui; non vacare offensione: to be offensive to the eyes and ears, ab oculorum auriumque probatione abhorrere.
Assailant, opposed to defensive, by circumlocution. An offensive war, *bellum quod ultro infertur; *bellum ultro inferendum (while yet future), ultro illatum (when already begun): to begin an offensive war, bellum inferre, or ultro inferre (Caes., Liv.); armis, bello, lacessere or petere aliquem; infesto exercitu pergere in agrum hostium; ultro petere hostem: an offensive alliance or treaty, *foedus ad bellum alicui inferendum initum; to act on the offensive (against any state or people), sociare arma contra aliquem: the Romans under Fabius acted on the defensive rather than on the offensive, Romani apud Fabium arcebant magis quam inferebant pugnam (Liv., 10, 28): to act both on the offensive and on the defensive, inferre vim atque arcere: to be strong enough to act on the offensive inferendo bello satis pollere (Tac., Hist., 3, 55, 1).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for offensive?
The usual Latin words for “offensive” are afferō, odiōsus, malus; also perdō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.