DELINQUENCIES Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

delinquency

noun

di-ˈliŋ-kwən-sē

Definition of delinquency

as in negligence

the nonperformance of an assigned or expected action we received a notice in the mail informing us of our delinquency in paying our utility bill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in lateness

the quality or state of being late delinquency of our mortgage payment meant that we would have to pay a surcharge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of delinquency Credit card delinquencies are at their highest level in 15 years, according to Federal Reserve Bank of New York data released in May. — Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 21 July 2026 His minor delinquencies seem minor indeed when contrasted with adult delinquencies with which he is confronted. — Book Marks, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026 The department also charged 10 parents with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. — Charlotte Observer, 13 July 2026 About one in 20 car loans made to young people are in serious delinquency. — Darian Woods, NPR, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for delinquency

Recent Examples of Synonyms for delinquency

Noun

Most of the negligence cases involved farm work carried out despite local bans, including welding.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last fall sued SoCal Edison alleging the company’s negligence caused the Eaton Fire and another blaze, seeking to recover tens of millions of dollars in damage to thousands of acres of Angeles National Forest Land.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of negligence

Noun

In 2024, military and overseas ballots were rejected for lateness at more than eight times the rate of domestic mail ballots, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

— Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 17 June 2026
This extreme lateness is really unnecessary and New York State should join 46 of its siblings and use the standard July 1 date (Texas, Alabama, Michigan have autumn dates).

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026

Definition of lateness

Noun

In all, the lawsuit claimed the agency failed to properly investigate five of the seven complaints of abuse or neglect the county received about the girl in 2021.

— Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
Medicaid Fraud Control Units were principally responsible for investigating providers, while also prosecuting the abuse and neglect of patients whose care was billed to Medicaid.

— Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of neglect

Noun

Their tardiness, which saw the start delayed by half an hour, was continued on the field with India looking like a rabble in the face of the onslaught from Buttler and Brook.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2026
Target's new attendance point system Target will start tracking unexcused tardiness and absences for its store and warehouse workers in September, assigning point values to violations and terminating any employee who hits 12 points within a year.

— Diane Brady, Fortune, 30 June 2026

Definition of tardiness

Noun

On top of adding consumer protections, open banking, PSD2 and the upcoming PSD3 broke apart the monopoly on infrastructure access banks held by default.

— Serhii Zakharov, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
But when bracing becomes your default — forcefully tightening your abs during every exercise and throughout the day in pursuit of better posture or aesthetics — the strategy can backfire.

— Dana Santas, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of default

Noun

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that there would be an emergency road closure at the inbound Lawrence Avenue exit on the Kennedy (Interstate 90), citing the early morning concrete retention wall failure as the reason.

— Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
These failures stemmed not from new vulnerabilities, but from basic security flaws like weak passwords and unauthenticated endpoints, and reliance on assumptions over robust controls.

— Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of failure

Noun

As more and more produce for American markets has been grown overseas in recent decades, the US government has largely outsourced safety oversight to the companies farming and selling it.

— Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
The piece urges critical inquiry into such claims, emphasizing that human oversight, not AI's inherent deviousness, can be a sizable contributor.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of oversight

Browse Nearby Words

delineations

delinquency

delinquent

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Delinquency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delinquency. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of delinquency

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on delinquency

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

nurture

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes