delinquency

[ dih-ling-kwuhn-see ]
See synonyms for delinquency on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. any misdeed, offense, or misdemeanor.

  2. something, as a debt, that is past due or otherwise delinquent.

Origin of delinquency

1
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; see -ency

Other words from delinquency

  • pre·de·lin·quen·cy, noun, plural pre·de·lin·quen·cies.

Words Nearby delinquency

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How to use delinquency in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for delinquency

delinquency

/ (dɪˈlɪŋkwənsɪ) /


nounplural -cies
  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

  1. a delinquent nature or delinquent behaviour

Origin of delinquency

1
C17: from Late Latin dēlinquentia a fault, offence, from Latin dēlinquere to transgress, from de- + linquere to forsake

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