Delinquent is a legal term that may act as an adjective or noun. "Delinquents" is the plural of the word, indicating a noun. The word "delinquents", in this sense, is the word used in criminal proceedings to describe juvenile or underage persons. There is an alternative meaning. Delinquents may also refer to people who neglect or fail to do what either law or duty requires of them. The most common usage of the plural of delinquent is as part of the phrase "juvenile delinquents". In this latter definition of the word, the term refers to those individuals under the legal age of an adult who fail to behave or act in the manner required by law or society. Under American law, juvenile delinquents are treated differently than adult delinquents. The specific age of an adult and the decision to try in adult of juvenile court varies from state-to-state.