delinquency

[ dih-ling-kwuhn-see ]

noun

, plural de·lin·quen·cies.

1. failure in or neglect of duty or obligation; dereliction; default:

   delinquency in payment of dues.

2. wrongful, illegal, or antisocial behavior. Compare juvenile delinquency.
3. any misdeed, offense, or misdemeanor.
4. something, as a debt, that is past due or otherwise delinquent.

delinquency

/ dɪˈlɪŋkwənsɪ /

noun

1. See juvenile delinquency
   an offence or misdeed, usually of a minor nature, esp one committed by a young person See juvenile delinquency
2. failure or negligence in duty or obligation; dereliction
3. a delinquent nature or delinquent behaviour

Other Words From

• prede·linquen·cy noun plural predelinquencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of delinquency¹

1630–40; < Late Latin dēlinquentia fault, crime, equivalent to Latin dēlinquent- (stem of dēlinquēns, present participle of dēlinquere to do wrong, equivalent to dē- de- + linquere to leave) + -ia noun suffix; -ency

Word History and Origins

Origin of delinquency¹

C17: from Late Latin dēlinquentia a fault, offence, from Latin dēlinquere to transgress, from de- + linquere to forsake

Example Sentences

The financial distress indicated by this high rate of delinquency is undermining both the physical and mental health of young adults.

From No Straight News

Earlier this year, the board unanimously agreed to cut fees in its juvenile justice system and end the collection of juvenile delinquency debt.

From Voice of San Diego

Credit card and mortgage delinquencies were lower in the third quarter than they were a year earlier—which is not what you would expect to see in a country in which around 800,000 or more people make new filings for unemployment support each week.

From Quartz

In July, Capital One reported a loss for the quarter despite delinquencies actually going down.

From ProPublica

It can also place children who are exposed to the violence at risk for behavioral issues, including delinquency and violence.

From No Straight News

According to TransUnion, this summer, credit card delinquency rates fell to a 20-year low.

From The Daily Beast

The credit card delinquency rate is at its lowest level since 1990.

From The Daily Beast

At 7.25 percent in the first quarter of 2013, the mortgage delinquency rate is down significantly from its 2010 peak.

From The Daily Beast

The house fell into tax delinquency that same year and was flagged for foreclosure this May.

From The Daily Beast

The American Bankers Association said Tuesday that the delinquency rate on credit cards has fallen to 2.47 percent.

From The Daily Beast

But for the delinquency of his son, she had ocular demonstration; and her indignation was hardly to be repressed.

From Project Gutenberg

Juvenile delinquency itself has been the subject of much research (especially in the United States) during the past fifty years.

From Project Gutenberg

(i) There was a substantial increase in juvenile delinquency during the Second World War.

From Project Gutenberg

This knowledge is of great importance in diagnosing maladjustments that might lead to delinquency.

From Project Gutenberg

This feeling of insecurity renders the child more susceptible to influences leading to delinquency.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• default