delinquent

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ UK /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
failing in duty or guilty of an offense; overdue in payment

The bank flagged his account as delinquent after three missed payments.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · failing in duty or guilty... offender culprit miscreantwrongdoernegligent overdue defaulting

Opposites

law-abidingcompliant dutiful current

Word family

Derived forms delinquencydelinquently

Related forms delict relinquish derelict

Etymology

From Latin delinquens, present participle of delinquere ('to fail, offend'), from de- ('away') + linquere ('to leave').

delinquens Latin delinquere Latin linquere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# delinquent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/

## Meanings
1. failing in duty or guilty of an offense; overdue in payment

## Examples
- The bank flagged his account as delinquent after three missed payments.

## Synonyms
- offender
- culprit
- miscreant
- wrongdoer
- negligent
- overdue
- defaulting

## Antonyms
- law-abiding
- compliant
- dutiful
- current

## Derived Forms
- delinquency
- delinquently

## Related Forms
- delict
- relinquish
- derelict

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: delinquens
- Root: delinquere
- Root: linquere

## Etymology
From Latin delinquens, present participle of delinquere ('to fail, offend'), from de- ('away') + linquere ('to leave').

## AI Etymology
Delinquent is from Latin delinquens, present participle of delinquere ('to fail, offend'), from de- ('away') + linquere ('to leave'). Important recorded forms include delinquens (Latin), delinquere (Latin), and linquere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers failing in duty or guilty of an offense; overdue in payment. The wider family includes derived forms such as delinquency and delinquently and related words such as delict, relinquish, and derelict.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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