delinquent
/dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/noun, adjective
A person who neglects duties or breaks the law
From Latin de- (Down) + Latin linquere (To leave or abandon).
Lineage
de-
linquere
The story
Picture a Roman citizen leaving a duty undone: the Latin verb delinquere joined dē-, “completely,” with linquere, “to leave.” It could describe falling short or doing wrong, and its present participle, delinquens, named someone who had failed in an obligation. The word reached English through Middle French délinquant, becoming a noun by the late 15th century and an adjective around 1600. Linquere’s wider family includes relinquish and relic: one means to let go, the other is what has been left behind. A delinquent, at heart, is someone who has left an obligation behind—and then had to answer for it.
Modern usage
A young person characterized as a troublemaker or involved in minor offenses.
- Heard in
- youth culture · informal usage
Words from the same roots
Sources
- Etymonlinedelinquent, de-, *leikw-
- Urban Dictionarydelinquent
- Wiktionarydelinquent, de-