delinquency

[ dih-ling-kwuhn-see ]

/ dɪˈlɪŋ kwən si /

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See synonyms for delinquency on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural de·lin·quen·cies.

failure in or neglect of duty or obligation; dereliction; default: delinquency in payment of dues.

wrongful, illegal, or antisocial behavior.Compare juvenile delinquency.

any misdeed, offense, or misdemeanor.

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

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM delinquency

pre·de·lin·quen·cy, noun, plural pre·de·lin·quen·cies.

Words nearby delinquency

delineated, delineation, delineator, delineavit, delink, delinquency, delinquent, deliquesce, deliquescence, deliquescent, deliration

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use delinquency in a sentence

The financial distress indicated by this high rate of delinquency is undermining both the physical and mental health of young adults.
The Morality Of Canceling Student Debt|LGBTQ-Editor|December 6, 2020|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.
What Republicans Say They’ll Do if They Keep Control of the Board of Supervisors|Jesse Marx|October 20, 2020|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.
The biggest US banks show the worst is yet to come for the economy|John Detrixhe|October 16, 2020|Quartz
In July, Capital One reported a loss for the quarter despite delinquencies actually going down.
Debt Collectors Have Made a Fortune This Year. Now They’re Coming for More.|by Paul Kiel and Jeff Ernsthausen|October 5, 2020|ProPublica

It can also place children who are exposed to the violence at risk for behavioral issues, including delinquency and violence.
Domestic Abusers Use Tech That Connects As A Weapon During Coronavirus Lockdowns|LGBTQ-Editor|June 19, 2020|No Straight News
According to TransUnion, this summer, credit card delinquency rates fell to a 20-year low.
The Economy’s Secret Success in 2013|Daniel Gross|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The credit card delinquency rate is at its lowest level since 1990.
Banks Really Are Different Five Years After the Financial Crisis|Daniel Gross|September 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At 7.25 percent in the first quarter of 2013, the mortgage delinquency rate is down significantly from its 2010 peak.
Relax, We’re Not Detroit|Daniel Gross|July 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The house fell into tax delinquency that same year and was flagged for foreclosure this May.
Cleveland Wants to Burn Down Ariel Castro’s House. Should It Be?|Christine Pelisek|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The American Bankers Association said Tuesday that the delinquency rate on credit cards has fallen to 2.47 percent.
Economic Data Show That, at Last, (Many of) the Fundamentals Are Sound|Daniel Gross|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But for the delinquency of his son, she had ocular demonstration; and her indignation was hardly to be repressed.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Juvenile delinquency itself has been the subject of much research (especially in the United States) during the past fifty years.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.
(i) There was a substantial increase in juvenile delinquency during the Second World War.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.
This knowledge is of great importance in diagnosing maladjustments that might lead to delinquency.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.
This feeling of insecurity renders the child more susceptible to influences leading to delinquency.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.

British Dictionary definitions for delinquency

delinquency

/ (dɪˈlɪŋkwənsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

an offence or misdeed, usually of a minor nature, esp one committed by a young personSee juvenile delinquency

failure or negligence in duty or obligation; dereliction

a delinquent nature or delinquent behaviour

Word Origin for delinquency

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

delinquency

Origin of delinquency

OTHER WORDS FROM delinquency

Words nearby delinquency

Words related to delinquency

How to use delinquency in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for delinquency

Word Origin for delinquency