delinquency

American  

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

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• predelinquency noun

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; -ency

Example Sentences

But there has been an uptick in household debt delinquencies, and I am expecting some of the effects of student-loan repayments to come into greater play.

From Barron's

And this all comes with an economic cost, as the negative wealth effect dampens consumer sentiment and rising stress at the margin of the mortgage market means increased delinquency rates and reduced refinancing options.

From The Wall Street Journal

The delinquency rate for office building owners jumped to a record high last month.

From The Wall Street Journal

Yet for people who bought homes in the past three years, paying much higher prices and steeper mortgage rates, delinquencies have been picking up, Taiano noted.

From MarketWatch

Mortgage delinquency rates in lower-income ZIP codes climbed to 3% by late 2025, marking the highest level in a decade, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• default