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
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
Car loans have gone from the safest consumer credit products to among the riskiest over the last 15 years as delinquencies rose more than 50%, driven by soaring car prices and rising interest rates, a new study shows.
—
Miguel Ambriz, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
And some consumers have been jostled by rising prices, with delinquencies and subprime debt rising for lower-income tiers.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Credit card interest rates are influenced by a number of factors, including higher delinquency rates and high credit utilization.
—Kevin Cerveny, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The university also faced delinquency with its supplemental property tax bills for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years, for a total amount of just over $31,000.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delinquency
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Miguel Ambriz, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
And some consumers have been jostled by rising prices, with delinquencies and subprime debt rising for lower-income tiers.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Credit card interest rates are influenced by a number of factors, including higher delinquency rates and high credit utilization.
—Kevin Cerveny, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The university also faced delinquency with its supplemental property tax bills for the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 fiscal years, for a total amount of just over $31,000.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for delinquency
Cite this Entry
“Delinquency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delinquency. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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