juvenile delinquent

Save This Word!

See synonyms for juvenile delinquent on Thesaurus.com

noun

a minor who cannot be controlled by parental authority and commits antisocial or criminal acts, as vandalism or violence.

a child or youth characterized by juvenile delinquency.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of juvenile delinquent

First recorded in 1810–20

Words nearby juvenile delinquent

juvenescence, juvenescent, juvenile, juvenile court, juvenile delinquency, juvenile delinquent, juvenile detention center, juvenile hormone, juvenile officer, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, juvenilia

How to use juvenile delinquent in a sentence

“The Lincoln Highway,” by Amor TowlesThe author of “A Gentleman in Moscow” starts his new novel in 1954 Nebraska, as two brothers, headed to California to find their mother, get derailed by some juvenile delinquents.
50 notable works of fiction|Washington Post Editors and Reviewers|November 18, 2021|Washington Post
Fear of a purported wave of remorseless juvenile delinquents known as “superpredators” was sweeping the country, prompting lawmakers to pass stiffer penalties for young offenders.
Judges Are Locking Up Children for Noncriminal Offenses Like Repeatedly Disobeying Their Parents and Skipping School|by Jodi S. Cohen and Duaa Eldeib|December 22, 2020|ProPublica
A car was indeed dispatched, with no mention that the suspect was possibly a juvenile and that the gun might be a toy.
The Cleveland Cops Who Fired 137 Shots and Cried Victim|Michael Daly|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Officers were responding to a report of a missing juvenile girl, and found her in the house of Carey Smith-Viramontes.
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown|Nina Strochlic|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Sixty of those 700 are “juvenile lifers,” men who came in as adolescents and are serving a life term.
Here’s a Reform Even the Koch Brothers and George Soros Can Agree On|Tina Brown|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was also the front for a juvenile delinquent roaming the streets of New York City and using me as a parental alibi.
Where Cellphone Numbers Go to Die|Jon Methven|August 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When a 16-year-old takes on that wide-eyed, touched-for-the-very-first-time role, it all comes off as a tad more…juvenile.
Why 'The Giver' Movie Will Disappoint the Book's Fans|Kevin Fallon|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I travelled first-class on a pass with my father, and great was my juvenile pride.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Shakespeare was one of her favourite books at this time, and she took delight in juvenile attempts at personifying the characters.
The Childhood of Distinguished Women|Selina A. Bower
She took more pleasure in her pupils literary efforts, and called him in fun the juvenile Poushkin.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
Nothing can be more juvenile or paltry than the works of the native Belgians here exhibited.
Little Travels and Roadside Sketches|William Makepeace Thackeray
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.

British Dictionary definitions for juvenile delinquent

juvenile delinquent

noun

a child or young person guilty of some offence, act of vandalism, or antisocial behaviour or whose conduct is beyond parental control and who may be brought before a juvenile court

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

juvenile delinquent

Origin of juvenile delinquent

Words nearby juvenile delinquent

Words related to juvenile delinquent

How to use juvenile delinquent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for juvenile delinquent