指違反法律或社會規範的行為，尤指青少年犯罪，或指未履行義務的狀態。
犯罪行為
EN: Minor criminal or antisocial behavior, especially by young people.
翻譯: （尤指青少年的）輕微犯罪或反社會行為。
少年犯罪
EN: The state or condition of being a juvenile delinquent.
翻譯: 處於少年犯的狀態或身分。
失職
EN: A failure to perform a duty or obligation.
翻譯: 未能履行職責或義務。
拖欠債務
EN: The state of being overdue in payment, such as a loan.
翻譯: （如貸款）款項逾期未付的狀態。
小提醒：在中文語境中，提到「delinquency」時，最常聯想到的是「青少年犯罪」或「少年不良行為」，這是其最核心的含義。
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Real-life Examples of "Delinquency" from YouTube Videos
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1. minor crime, especially that committed by young people
（尤指青少年的）輕微犯罪，不法行為
The city has seen a rise in juvenile delinquency in recent years.
近年來，這座城市的青少年犯罪率有所上升。
He was arrested for acts of delinquency such as vandalism and shoplifting.
他因破壞公物和商店盜竊等不法行為而被捕。
2. failure to pay a debt or fulfill an obligation
（債務或義務的）拖欠，未能履行
The bank reported an increase in loan delinquencies during the economic downturn.
銀行報告稱，在經濟低迷期間，貸款拖欠情況有所增加。
Tax delinquency can result in significant penalties and interest charges.
拖欠稅款可能導致巨額罰款和利息費用。
3. a tendency to behave in a way that is not acceptable or that neglects duties
（行為上的）失職，過失，不盡責
The report criticized the company for its delinquency in maintaining safety standards.
報告批評該公司在維護安全標準方面失職。
His professional delinquency led to the loss of a major client.
他的職業失職導致失去了一位重要客戶。
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| delinquency + in + noun | 在…方面的過失/失職 | The report highlighted delinquency in tax payments. (報告強調了在稅款支付方面的失職。) |
| juvenile delinquency | 青少年犯罪 | The city has programs to reduce juvenile delinquency. (該市有減少青少年犯罪的計畫。) |
| a case of delinquency | 一樁失職/犯罪案件 | The court is reviewing a serious case of delinquency. (法院正在審理一樁嚴重的失職案件。) |
| rates of delinquency | 犯罪/失職率 | The study tracked the rates of delinquency over ten years. (這項研究追蹤了十年間的犯罪率。) |
| delinquency + among + noun (group) | …群體中的犯罪/不良行為 | There is concern about delinquency among young adults. (人們對年輕成年人群體中的不良行為感到擔憂。) |
對比範例： EN: The study focuses on the causes of delinquency among youth. 翻譯: 這項研究聚焦於青少年不良行為的成因。
EN:The government has launched a new program to combat juvenile delinquency.
翻譯:政府已啟動一項新計畫來打擊青少年犯罪。
在討論青少年犯罪議題時，建議使用更精確的術語 juvenile delinquency，而單獨使用 delinquency 時，需確保上下文能明確其指涉的具體不良行為類型。
delinquency vs crime
「delinquency」通常指青少年或未成年人的輕微違法或不當行為，帶有「偏差」或「失職」的意味；「crime」則泛指所有違反法律的犯罪行為，涵蓋範圍更廣、性質更嚴重。
delinquency vs misconduct
「delinquency」通常與法律或社會規範的違反相關，尤其指青少年犯罪；「misconduct」則更廣泛地指不當行為、失職或違反紀律，常見於專業、學術或工作場合。
delinquency vs deviance
「delinquency」通常具體指違法或犯罪行為，尤其用於青少年；「deviance」則是一個更社會學的術語，泛指任何偏離社會規範或期望的行為，不一定違法。
在對話中，當引述他人（如專家、長輩、報告）的觀點或正式術語時，會使用這個詞。 EN: My dad always said that juvenile delinquency starts with skipping school. 翻譯: 我爸總是說，青少年犯罪是從逃學開始的。
EN:The news report last night focused on the rising delinquency rates in the city.
翻譯:昨晚的新聞報導重點是城市裡不斷上升的犯罪率。
用於強調問題的嚴重性或表達擔憂、批評的語氣，常與「問題」、「行為」等詞連用。 EN: The real problem here isn't just mischief; it's outright delinquency. 翻譯: 這裡真正的問題不只是惡作劇，而是徹底的犯罪行為。
EN:We need to address this pattern of delinquency before it gets worse.
翻譯:我們必須在情況惡化前，正視這種犯罪模式。
在組織思緒或尋找合適詞語時，作為一個較正式的填充詞，引出後續更具體的說明。 EN: His recent actions... well, I'd call it delinquency, to be honest. 翻譯: 他最近的行為... 嗯，老實說，我會稱之為犯罪。
EN:The issue we're seeing in the community—delinquency, for lack of a better word—is spreading.
翻譯:我們在社區看到的這個問題—一時找不到更好的詞，就叫犯罪吧—正在蔓延。
正式寫作提醒：在正式報告、學術論文或法律文件中，應使用更精確的術語，如「juvenile delinquency」（青少年犯罪）、「criminal delinquency」（刑事犯罪）或「loan delinquency」（貸款違約），並提供明確的定義和數據支持，以避免語意模糊。
juvenile delinquency
noun + noun
少年犯罪
delinquency prevention
noun + noun
犯罪預防（尤指青少年）
delinquency rate
noun + noun
犯罪率（尤指青少年）
a problem of delinquency
a + noun + of + noun
犯罪問題（尤指青少年）
delinquency trends
noun + noun
犯罪趨勢
a case of delinquency
a + case + of + noun
一樁犯罪案件
delinquency intervention
noun + noun
犯罪干預
×He was arrested for his delinquency.
✓He was arrested for delinquency.
In legal/formal contexts, 'delinquency' is often used as an uncountable noun referring to the general state or act of wrongdoing, especially by a young person. Using a possessive pronoun ('his delinquency') can sound unnatural unless specifically contrasting individuals.
×The delinquency of the payment caused problems.
✓The delinquency in payment caused problems. / The payment delinquency caused problems.
When referring to a failure to meet a financial obligation, 'delinquency' is typically used with 'in' followed by the obligation (e.g., 'delinquency in payment/taxes'), or as a compound noun (e.g., 'tax delinquency'). Using 'of' is incorrect.
×She is a delinquency.
✓She is a delinquent.
'Delinquency' is the act or condition of being delinquent. A person who commits delinquent acts is a 'delinquent' (noun). Confusing the abstract noun for the person is a common error.
×We discussed about the delinquency problem.
✓We discussed the delinquency problem.
The verb 'discuss' is a transitive verb and does not require the preposition 'about'. This is a common error with many learners.
×Delinquency are a major concern.
✓Delinquency is a major concern.
'Delinquency' is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb. Using a plural verb is grammatically incorrect.
×He has a long history of delinquencies.
✓He has a long history of delinquency.
While 'delinquency' can be countable when referring to specific instances or types (e.g., 'juvenile delinquencies'), it is far more common and natural to use it as an uncountable noun when describing a general pattern of behavior over time.