delinquent
Americanadjective
-
failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense.
-
(of an account, tax, debt, etc.) past due; overdue.
-
of or relating to delinquents or delinquency.
delinquent attitudes.
noun
-
a person who is delinquent.
noun
-
someone, esp a young person, guilty of delinquency See juvenile delinquent
-
archaic a person who fails in an obligation or duty
adjective
-
guilty of an offence or misdeed, esp one of a minor nature
-
failing in or neglectful of duty or obligation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of delinquent
1475–85; < Latin dēlinquent-; see delinquency
Explanation
The adjective delinquent describes something that is past due or people who are negligent in doing their duty. If you are delinquent in paying your delinquent library fines, you won't be able to check out any more books. You may have heard the term juvenile delinquent, which refers to a young (juvenile) person who gets in trouble, often with the law, but people of any age can be delinquent. A delinquent landlord is one who doesn't make repairs. A delinquent tenant is one who does not pay his rent.
Vocabulary lists containing delinquent
The Outsiders
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Touching Spirit Bear
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The share of credit-card debt 90 or more days delinquent in the first quarter of 2026 was the highest in 15 years.
From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026
But more borrowers have fallen delinquent on student and other debt since the payment pause ended in October 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
I walk a frozen Bothnian Gulf at Nallikari, an obscured lighthouse, a delinquent lifeguard stand, and makeshift saunas stand on white expanse like archaeology.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
That freeze ended up lasting more than three years, with an additional year of “on-ramping” in which late payments didn’t count as delinquent or impact credit scores.
From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026
“Daddy left his computer laying around. Seems like he wanted to know all about his future juvenile delinquent superstar.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
