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Juvenile vs Delinquent - What's the difference?

juvenile | delinquent |

As adjectives the difference between juvenile and delinquent

is that juvenile is young; not fully developed while delinquent is late or failing to pay a debt or other financial obligation, like a mortgage or loan.

As nouns the difference between juvenile and delinquent

is that juvenile is a prepubescent child while delinquent is one who disobeys or breaks rules or laws.

juvenile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • young; not fully developed
  • characteristic of youth or immaturity; childish

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • a prepubescent child
  • a person not legally of age, or who is younger than may be charged with an offence
  • an animal that is not sexually mature
  • an actor playing a child's role

    • Derived terms

    * (not of legal age) juvenile court, juvenile delinquent, juvenile detention center, juvenile hall

    delinquent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Late or failing to pay a debt or other financial obligation, like a mortgage or loan.
    • Fred is delinquent in making his car payment.
    The company made a new effort to collect delinquent payments.
  • Failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense

    • Synonyms

    * (late or failing to pay a debt) defaulting

    Derived terms

    * delinquency * juvenile delinquent * moral delinquent

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who disobeys or breaks rules or laws.
  • (obsolete) a term applied to royalists by their opponents in the English Civil War 1642 - 1645. Charles I was known as the chief delinquent.

    • Synonyms

    * See also