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loiter

Definition of Loiter

(noun) To wander around or stand in a public place without an obvious reason; linger without purpose.

Example of Loiter

  • To spend time outside a shop without any intention of making a purchase.

Loiter Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: loi·ter

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /lOI-tuhr/
  • British English – /lOI-tuh/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈlɔɪdər/
  • British English – /ˈlɔɪtə/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: loiters
  • In some areas loitering is considered a crime, typically a misdemeanor.
  • A (noun) loiterer (adverb) loiteringly engages in (noun) loitering.

Related Video

Additional Information

Related Terms

Works Consulted

Macmillan. (N.d.) Macmillan Dictionary. (https://www.macmillandictionary.com/).

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Princeton University. 2010. WordNet. (https://wordnet.princeton.edu/).

Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. 1997. New York: Random House.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wiktionary, The Free Dictionary. Wikimedia Foundation. (http://en.wiktionary.org).

Cite the Definition of Loiter

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “loiter.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 20, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/loiter/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

loiter. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/loiter/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “loiter.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 20, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/loiter/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“loiter.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/loiter/>.