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
That delinquency is, in turn, what generally triggers heightened collection activity.
—
Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Mejer has now been charged on suspicion of felony child endangerment and felony accessory after the fact of a crime, as well as misdemeanors for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, loaning a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver and providing false information to an officer.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Household consumption is more than two-thirds of the economy, and again it is fueled by debt that is giving way to delinquency at alarming rates and by assets that are at risk of being devalued.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
There hasn’t been an increase in delinquencies within Franklin Templeton’s $100 billion portfolio of private credit assets, Johnson said Tuesday at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delinquency
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Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
Mejer has now been charged on suspicion of felony child endangerment and felony accessory after the fact of a crime, as well as misdemeanors for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, loaning a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver and providing false information to an officer.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Household consumption is more than two-thirds of the economy, and again it is fueled by debt that is giving way to delinquency at alarming rates and by assets that are at risk of being devalued.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
There hasn’t been an increase in delinquencies within Franklin Templeton’s $100 billion portfolio of private credit assets, Johnson said Tuesday at Semafor World Economy in Washington, DC.
—Miles Weiss, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for delinquency
Cite this Entry
“Delinquency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delinquency. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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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