delinquency

noun

de·​lin·​quen·​cy di-ˈliŋ-kwən-sē 

-ˈlin-

plural delinquencies

1

a

: a delinquent act

b

: conduct that is out of accord with accepted behavior or the law

especially : juvenile delinquency

2

: a debt on which payment is overdue

Synonyms

• negligence
• neglect
• default
• failure
• oversight

Examples of delinquency in a Sentence

They tried to steer him away from delinquency by giving him a job in their store.

She's been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

a series of minor delinquencies

a high rate of delinquency

Recent Examples on the Web

Capital One reports its 30-day delinquency rates – known as the percentage of total outstanding credit card balances that are at least 30 days past due. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 July 2025

Case in point: credit card delinquencies continue at high levels as shown in the chart below. —Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025

Agency guidelines do not specify how soon the government should step in after a loan falls into delinquency, but under federal law, lenders cannot foreclose on a property until borrowers have been in default for 120 days. —ProPublica, 20 July 2025

The administration of Donald Trump started reporting student loan delinquencies to the credit bureaus. —Chi Chi Wu, Chicago Tribune, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

delinqu(ent) entry 2 + -ency

First Known Use

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing delinquency

• juvenile delinquency

Medical Definition

delinquency

noun

de·​lin·​quen·​cy di-ˈliŋ-kwən-sē, -ˈlin- 

plural delinquencies

: conduct that is out of accord with accepted behavior or the law

especially : juvenile delinquency

Legal Definition

delinquency

noun

de·​lin·​quen·​cy di-ˈliŋ-kwən-sē 

plural delinquencies

1

a

: the quality or state of being delinquent

b

: juvenile delinquency

contributing to the delinquency of a minor

2

: a debt on which payment is overdue

consumer loan delinquencies