juvenile delinquent
Americannoun
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a minor who cannot be controlled by parental authority and commits antisocial or criminal acts, as vandalism or violence.
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a child or youth characterized by juvenile delinquency.
noun
Etymology
Origin of juvenile delinquent
First recorded in 1810–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He also began getting into mischief, and his parents, worried that he was becoming a juvenile delinquent, sent him to Miami when he was 14 to live with a married brother, Cyril.
From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2022
More recently, he took a dark turn on the Netflix series "Locke & Key," and went from worshipful kid to juvenile delinquent in "Big Time Adolescence," which dropped on Hulu this month.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2020
A brainy classmate helps a cocky juvenile delinquent find the right path in life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2020
"Not bad for a former juvenile delinquent," said the 63-year-old, who has written for Beyonce, Celine Dion and many other stars.
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2020
I guess I can’t blame Chokecherry for that—this isn’t the only town to give some juvenile delinquent a free pass because he happens to be popular and good at sports.
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
