noun

delinquency

dih-LIHNGK-wuhn-see

noun

Minor criminal behavior, especially among young people.

"The youth center was set up to help reduce juvenile delinquency."

The state of being overdue on a debt or payment.

"The bank flagged his account for loan delinquency after three missed payments."

How to Use Delinquency

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither minor lawbreaking (especially by young people) or being behind on a payment.

Common pairings

juvenile delinquency loan delinquency rate of delinquency

delinquencies plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

The youth center was set up to help reduce juvenile _____.

agency urgency potency decency regency currency tendency clemency leniency frequency emergency residency