Spanish word

delincuencia

Pronunciation

IPA/deliŋˈkwenθja/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncrime

Example

La delincuencia ha aumentado en nuestra ciudad.

Crime has increased in our city.

Illustration for delincuencia (crime)

More examples

Muchas víctimas de la delincuencia no denuncian por miedo.

Many victims of crime do not report it out of fear.

Core concept

Community-level pattern of unlawful behavior and offenders.

Common phrases

  • víctimas de la delincuencia

    victims of crime

  • prevención de la delincuencia

    crime prevention

  • delincuencia callejera

    street crime

Similar words

crimen: A specific unlawful act that injures a person or damages property.
delito: A concrete illegal act defined by law and punishable by the courts.
criminalidad: The incidence and overall level of crime observed in a region or society.
inseguridad: A condition or feeling of reduced safety caused by crime or accidents.

Definition in Spanish

Fenómeno social formado por delitos y por la presencia de personas que cometen esos delitos.

Word origin

The term comes from Latin delinquere 'to fail or offend' and medieval delinquentia, and it labels the social phenomenon formed by criminal acts and the people who carry them out.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English 'delinquency' (often youth misconduct), Spanish delincuencia denotes criminal activity as a broad social problem and contrasts with crimen for violent acts and delito in legal contexts.

Other meanings

  • delinquencynoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word