first offender

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"This is a first offender and I wouldn't want him to be a hardened criminal at this young age. He's only 15 now."

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

The felony carries up to four years in prison but "no one gets jail time for that as a first offender," a New York law enforcement official told Yahoo News.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2023

Threshold was $210 million in 2021, with tax rates of 20% for first offender, 30% for exceeding in consecutive years and 50% for exceeding in three or more consecutive years.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2022

Paul Hodgkins, a Florida man, was the first offender to be sentenced when he received eight months in prison in July for obstructing an official proceeding.

From Fox News • Sep. 3, 2021

They might make all the difference between a nominal sentence as a first offender and five years' penal servitude as an habitual criminal, to say nothing of police supervision afterwards.

From Scotland Yard The methods and organisation of the Metropolitan Police by Dilnot, George