delinquency

[dih-ling-kwuhn-see]

noun

plural

delinquencies 

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

/ 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

• predelinquency noun

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

In November 2024, the company said it had received a filing delinquency notification from the New York Stock Exchange over its failure to meet timely filing requirements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Read more on Barron's

The consequences of America’s affordability crisis are seen in “rising foreclosures and delinquency, especially for low- and middle-income households,” McCargo said.

Read more on MarketWatch

Nearly two dozen chains and large restaurant-operating groups have filed for bankruptcy this year, according to BankruptcyData.com, which analyzed delinquencies from public companies and those with large liabilities.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Growing stress among lower-income households manifests in rising delinquency rates, shrinking buffers, and reductions in discretionary spending, which then hurt businesses that depend on widespread demand rather than high-margin customers.

Read more on Barron's

Some have flagged signs of stress materializing among low-income consumers even as banks’ widely tracked credit measures, such as delinquencies, net charge-offs, and provisions for loan losses, are in good shape.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• default