The word of the day

TRUANCY = the act or habit of staying away from school without permission


To play truant = to skip classes


Here's an example of this word in the context:

Truancy is a gateway to crime. High rates of truancy are linked to high daytime burglary rates and high vandalism. According to the Los Angeles County Office of Education, truancy is the most powerful predictor of juvenile delinquent behavior. "I've never seen a gang member who wasn't a truant first," says California District Attorney Kim Menninger

Source: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/Truancy/index.html