delinquent meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

delinquent

adj

UK /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French délinquant, ultimately from Latin delinquens, present participle of delinquo.

Late or failing to pay a debt or other financial obligation, like a mortgage or loan.

Of a payment or other financial obligation: late or otherwise unfulfilled.

The company made a new effort to collect delinquent payments.
The station's financial difficulties came to a head last week when the Internal Revenue Service had its bank accounts frozen as a result of delinquent taxes.1981 February 7, David Morris, “Money Troubles May Close WCAS”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 28, page 3:

Failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense

Synonyms: defaulting
Derived terms: delinquency, delinquently, juvenile delinquent, nondelinquent, predelinquent
Related terms: derelict, relic, relict, relinquish

noun

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French délinquant, ultimately from Latin delinquens, present participle of delinquo.

One who disobeys or breaks rules or laws, or who acts against another's wishes.

She had the consolation of knowing that any offence given to her dignity could be avenged on the delinquent who caused it, an act of justice which could not fail to be consolatory, since every one of her daughters had at times stood in stead of "guid King James's whipping-boy," when circumstances arose to disturb the equanimity of Lady Anne's imperious and irascible temper.1838 (date written), L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXI, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], published 1842, →OCLC, page 269:

A person who has not paid their debts.

Derogatory, Historical A royalist in the First English Civil War (1642-1646).

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.