juvenile delinquent
Americannoun
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a minor who cannot be controlled by parental authority and commits antisocial or criminal acts, as vandalism or violence.
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a child or youth characterized by juvenile delinquency.
noun
Etymology
Origin of juvenile delinquent
First recorded in 1810–20
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.
Warner said he had a teacher who became his mentor and encouraged his interest in drama, adding that it was a choice between acting or "being a juvenile delinquent".
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2022
Born Manuel Rodriguez in Buffalo, he was a self-described juvenile delinquent before dropping out of art school.
From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2021
More recently, he took a dark turn on the Netflix series "Locke & Key," and went from worshipful kid to juvenile delinquent in "Big Time Adolescence," which dropped on Hulu this month.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2020
A brainy classmate helps a cocky juvenile delinquent find the right path in life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2020
I can’t get past the feeling that this is just some juvenile delinquent trying to freak everybody out.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
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.
