word
Habitual Offender
hah-BICH-oo-ul oh-FEN-der
/həˈbɪtʃuːəl əˈfɛndər/Listen
Hear it in a clear American voice. Slow it down to catch each syllable.
Syllable breakdown
habitualoffender
Dictionary meaning
A criminal who has been convicted of multiple offences and is deemed likely to continue offending; many jurisdictions impose enhanced penalties on habitual offenders under recidivist statutes or three-strikes laws
Examples
- Under the state's habitual offender law, a third felony conviction triggered an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.
- Habitual offender legislation was championed as a public safety measure but has been criticised for imprisoning non-violent offenders for life.
Synonyms: repeat offender, career criminal, persistent offender, recidivist
Pronunciation tips
Seven syllables; stress the second and sixth: -BIT- and -FEN-; 'habitual' is four syllables
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