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
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
The authors found higher rates of mortgage delinquencies after storms in counties that were dominated by those insurers.
—
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
More New Yorkers have stopped paying their property taxes — a troubling trend since the onset of the pandemic that city officials attribute to the end of a tax-lien sales program that punishes delinquency.
—Martin Z. Braun, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
The change is in keeping with a national movement to consign fewer youth to the criminal justice system, especially correctional settings, which a growing body of research shows can often do more harm than good at preventing delinquency.
—Callie Ferguson Ashley L. Conti, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Like Capital One, Discover has experienced rising delinquency and charge-off rates in its credit card portfolio.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Credit card delinquencies are one area of concern, with credit card debt reaching a record high this year.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024
According to the Federal Reserve, credit card delinquencies increased by 50 percent in 2023, while consumer debt grew to $17.5 trillion.
—Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024
That may help reduce delinquency, so long as borrowers remain eligible for $0 payments.
—Preston Cooper, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
But the teen's legal guardian, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, on the basis of the boy having access to the gun, was found not guilty.
—Sarah Rankin, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024
Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
More New Yorkers have stopped paying their property taxes — a troubling trend since the onset of the pandemic that city officials attribute to the end of a tax-lien sales program that punishes delinquency.
—Martin Z. Braun, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2024
The change is in keeping with a national movement to consign fewer youth to the criminal justice system, especially correctional settings, which a growing body of research shows can often do more harm than good at preventing delinquency.
—Callie Ferguson Ashley L. Conti, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Like Capital One, Discover has experienced rising delinquency and charge-off rates in its credit card portfolio.
—Mayra Rodriguez Valladares, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Credit card delinquencies are one area of concern, with credit card debt reaching a record high this year.
—Will Daniel, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024
According to the Federal Reserve, credit card delinquencies increased by 50 percent in 2023, while consumer debt grew to $17.5 trillion.
—Ron Paul, Orange County Register, 5 Mar. 2024
That may help reduce delinquency, so long as borrowers remain eligible for $0 payments.
—Preston Cooper, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
But the teen's legal guardian, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor, on the basis of the boy having access to the gun, was found not guilty.
—Sarah Rankin, Quartz, 7 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delinquency.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near delinquency
Cite this Entry
“Delinquency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delinquency. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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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