Young people who have committed crimes or broken the law; or people who fail to pay debts or fulfill obligations.
From Latin 'delinquens,' present participle of 'delinquere': 'de-' (away) + 'linquere' (to leave/abandon). So literally, 'those who abandon their duties.' The term entered English around the 16th century with legal meanings.
The phrase 'juvenile delinquent' was invented in early 1900s America to distinguish young lawbreakers from hardened criminals—but it ended up creating a whole category and culture, showing how naming something can actually bring it more into existence!
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