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
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