delinquency

American  

[dih-ling-kwuhn-see] / dɪˈlɪŋ kwən si /

noun

• delinquencies
  plural

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

   delinquency in payment of dues.

2. wrongful, illegal, or antisocial behavior.

3. any misdeed, offense, or misdemeanor.

4. something, as a debt, that is past due or otherwise delinquent.

---

delinquency British  

/ dɪˈlɪŋkwənsɪ /

noun

1. 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 Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predelinquency
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• delinquencies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of delinquency

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; see -ency

Explanation

Delinquency is a minor crime, especially one committed by a youth. Cutting class all week to drive around town without your license is a sure sign of delinquency. Delinquency can mean a particular violation, like stealing a car, but it may also refer to a more general trend of acting out and violating the law, like stealing cars daily and crashing them many times over. In this sense it’s often called juvenile delinquency. Another sense of delinquency is general neglect, particularly by someone who holds a formal position. The word can also refer to an unpaid debt. You’re thinking about those unpaid library fines now, right?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

delinquency delinquencies

He told AFP debt delinquency was "not a consequence of individual decisions" but the result of "a macroeconomic context that has worsened incomes, employment and economic activity."

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

Still, delinquency rates are especially elevated for those living in low-income areas and for younger borrowers, the researchers said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The company says total credit-card delinquency rate edged down to 3.4% in the second quarter, compared to 3.7% in the first quarter and 3.6% in the year-ago quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Advocates have expressed concern that those parents will soon begin to struggle, driving up already high delinquency and default rates.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

“I was just seeing stunningly high delinquency rates in these pools.”

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

That is more than the eight delinquencies that the board typically budgets for.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Now banks have worked through the most problematic loans and are seeing lower delinquencies in their real-estate portfolios.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The share of delinquencies on credit cards and car loans has also stabilized, albeit at elevated levels.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

“If there are too many homes and house prices do drop, will that affect mortgage delinquencies, as well as fewer mortgage originations?”

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

He didn't have any juvenile criminal history—no prior arrests, no misconduct in school, no delinquencies or prior court appearances.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• default