delinquent

di-ˈliŋ-kwənt 3 syllables uncommon

  1. noun.one that is delinquent: such as

    • a tax delinquent

  2. noun.a usually young person who regularly performs illegal or immoral acts

  3. noun.a person or entity whose debt is overdue

  4. adjective.offending by neglect or violation of duty or of law

    • … were clearly delinquent in not immediately alerting Western Europe to the accident …
    • a delinquent charge account

  5. adjective.being overdue in payment

    • … efforts to crack down on parents delinquent in child-support payments …
    • delinquent behavior

  6. adjective.of, relating to, or characteristic of people who regularly perform illegal or immoral acts: marked by delinquency

Source

Origin

earlier, "person failing in a duty, offender," borrowed from Middle French delinquant, noun derivative from present participle of delinquer "to commit an offense," borrowed from Latin dēlinquere "to be lacking, fall short of an approved standard, misbehave, commit (an offense)".

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2025