status offender

noun

: a young offender (such as a runaway or a truant) who is under the jurisdiction of a court for repeated offenses that are not crimes

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of status offender was in 1975

Dictionary Entries Near status offender

Cite this Entry

“Status offender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/status%20offender. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

status offender

noun
: a person who commits a status offense
especially : a juvenile under the jurisdiction of the court because of status offenses that indicate the child is beyond parental control compare juvenile delinquent, youthful offender
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!