juvenile delinquency


noun
  1. behavior of a child or youth that is so marked by violation of law, persistent mischievousness, antisocial behavior, disobedience, or intractability as to thwart correction by parents and to constitute a matter for action by the juvenile courts.

Origin of juvenile delinquency

1
First recorded in 1810–20

Words Nearby juvenile delinquency

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use juvenile delinquency in a sentence

  • Ferrari, in his excellent work on juvenile delinquency, discusses the various motives for deception and malingering in the child.

British Dictionary definitions for juvenile delinquency

juvenile delinquency

noun
  1. antisocial or criminal conduct by juvenile delinquents

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