truancy

[troo-uh n-see]

See more synonyms for truancy on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural tru·an·cies.

the act or state of being truant.
an instance of being truant: His parents were questioned about his many truancies.

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Origin of truancy

First recorded in 1775–85; tru(ant) + -ancy

Related formsnon·tru·an·cy, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for truancy

Contemporary Examples

The sheriff charged them with truancy, and then he and his officers ran them out of town.
Dr. King Goes to Hollywood: The Flawed History of ‘Selma’
Gary May
January 2, 2015
For example, in 2008, Los Angeles issued 12,000 fines for truancy.
A Mom’s Tragic Death Over Missed School Days
Ben Jacobs
June 14, 2014
In contrast, other jurisdictions only fine students for truancy, not the parents.
A Mom’s Tragic Death Over Missed School Days
Ben Jacobs
June 14, 2014
Some of the commentators on the Toronto Life site note that it is peculiar that truancy laws weren't enforced in this situation.
Allah in the Cafeteria
Noah Kristula-Green
March 21, 2012
Some, traumatized by a sexual assault, missed school and were arrested for truancy.
The Woman Who Beat Craigslist
Michelle Goldberg
September 27, 2010

Historical Examples

She was accused of truancy; she admitted it, even confessed her rendezvous in the Park.
The Cricket
Marjorie Cooke
Your truancy has been grievous to your friends, no less than to yourself.
The Fair God
Lew Wallace
Now I differ with him, and I even mean to win this day by such a piece of truancy.
The Rise of Iskander
Benjamin Disraeli
They treated us as truants only, and as if they quite understood our truancy.
Herland
Charlotte Perkins Stetson Gilman
I have my own idea of how this truancy question is going to be solved.
A Ten Year War
Jacob A. Riis

Word Origin and History for truancy

n.

1784, from truant + -cy.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper