what does delinquent mean 
the term delinquent refers to the state of being in arrears when someone is delinquent they are past due on their financial obligation s such as a loan credit card or bond payments this means a borrower s payments are not made to satisfy their debt s in a timely manner delinquent entities can be either individuals or corporations financial delinquency often leads to default if the arrears aren t brought up to date the term may also be used to describe the failure to perform a duty by financial professionals 