truancy

noun

tru·​an·​cy ˈtrü-ən(t)-sē How to pronounce truancy (audio)
plural truancies
: an act or instance of playing truant : the state of being truant

Examples of truancy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The agreement increases wages and takes four days from staff and teacher summers to help support students most at risk for dropping out or truancy. — Leslie Griffy, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026 Such constraints can lead them into truancy and away from the authority figures in their life. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026 Senate Bill 123 prohibits schools from expelling students solely because of excessive absences or truancy. — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026 Beauty, then, arises from the pain and struggle of experiencing oneself as a site of divine truancy, and ugly is that which pretends to be directly equivalent to the soul, God, etc. — Esther Yi, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for truancy

Word History

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of truancy was in 1784

Rhymes for truancy

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Truancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truancy. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

truancy

noun
tru·​an·​cy ˈtrü-ən-sē How to pronounce truancy (audio)
plural truancies
: an act or an instance of being a truant
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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