delinquency

[ dih-ling-kwuhn-see ]

noun

, plural de·lin·quen·cies.

1. failure in or neglect of duty or obligation; dereliction; default:

   delinquency in payment of dues.

2. wrongful, illegal, or antisocial behavior. Compare juvenile delinquency.
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 Words From

• prede·linquen·cy noun plural predelinquencies

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

“We find a substantial increase in bankruptcy rates, debt collections, debt consolidation loans, and auto loan delinquencies” in those states, they wrote, consonant with an increase in excessive debt among players.

From Los Angeles Times

All of the infrastructure "we know helps reduce crime and delinquency" that had been "basically turned off at the spout are now turned back on."

From Salon

Credit scores and delinquencies, she said, “consistently worsen over time as diagnosis approaches, and so it literally mirrors the changes in cognitive decline that we’re observing.”

From New York Times

The earlier Silent and Greatest generations had even lower delinquency rates.

From Los Angeles Times

Retailers are also seeing higher delinquency rates in their credit card businesses.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• default