When you think of the word offense, you think that your offense has just crossed the line of injustice. Something like a parking ticket is a violation. When you commit a violation, you are not in the wrong up to your knees, you just dipped your toe in the evil to see how you feel. A misdemeanor is a more serious crime, such as theft, and murder is considered a crime, the most serious crime. If you break the school`s rules on chewing gum, you are committing an offence. A violation is a minor offense or a minor violation of the rules.