default

1 of 2

noun

de·​fault di-ˈfȯlt How to pronounce default (audio)
dē-;
ˈdē-ˌfȯlt
1
: failure to do something required by duty or law : neglect
2
archaic : fault
3
economics : a failure to pay financial debts
was in default on her loan
mortgage defaults
4
a
law : failure to appear at the required time in a legal proceeding
The defendant is in default.
b
: failure to compete in or to finish an appointed contest
lost the game by default
5
a
: a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration due to lack of a viable alternative
remained the club's president by default
the default candidate
b
computers : a selection automatically used by a program in the absence of a choice made by the user
using the default settings

default

2 of 2

verb

defaulted; defaulting; defaults

intransitive verb

1
: to fail to fulfill a contract, agreement, or duty: such as
a
: to fail to meet a financial obligation
default on a loan
b
law : to fail to appear in court
c
: to fail to compete in or to finish an appointed contest
also : to forfeit a contest by such failure
2
computers : to make a selection automatically in the absence of a choice made by the user
The program defaults to a standard font.

transitive verb

1
: to fail to perform, pay, or make good
default a loan
2
a
: forfeit
defaulted the game
b
: to exclude (a player or a team) from a contest by default
was defaulted from the tournament
defaulter noun
Phrases
in default of
: in the absence of

Examples of default in a Sentence

Noun The defendant has made no appearance in the case and is in default. You can enter your own settings or use the defaults. Which font is the default in that computer program? Verb If the borrower defaults, the bank can take the house. The program defaults to a standard font.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Pakistan has been relying on bailouts to prop up its foreign exchange reserves and avoid default, with the IMF and wealthy allies like China and Saudi Arabia financing the country to the tune of billions of dollars. Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Is secondhand about to become the default destination for aspirational luxury buyers? Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 3 Mar. 2024 The problem, until now, has been that these Reactions are on by default. David Phelan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The financial distress that some consumers are facing hasn't been cascading into defaults on the loans and repossessions of cars or trucks. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Starting in January 2024, the payments went into default, which allowed the city, as the lender, to demand that the financing be paid in full. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 But no such default has yet been publicly declared though Moody’s said in mid-2023 that cash on hand had then reached a historical low of 42 days, causing the firm to lower its outlook for Palomar’s future financial performance from stable to negative. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 Their research shows that currently about 14% of all CRE loans and 44% of all office loans are at high risk of default, and if that default rate were to reach 20%, over 380 banks would be at risk of insolvency. María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 The government has argued that Google wielded its massive spending power by paying billions of dollars a year to companies like Apple to maintain its default search engine position on their platforms and devices, locking rivals out of the market. Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
About 15% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK are at risk of defaulting on their debts over the next four years, according to research published today by Allianz Trade. Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 28 Feb. 2024 Fortune Country Garden gets a winding-up petition A creditor of Country Garden, the Chinese mega-developer that defaulted on its debt last October, filed a winding-up petition in Hong Kong court. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Kennedy said other companies in the areas surrounding the city told Kennedy their systems have been defaulting to Milwaukee's 7.9% sales tax. Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Some landlords will default — leaving the banks holding the bag. Matt Egan, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Evergrande defaulted on its offshore debt in December 2021, which sparked a liquidity crisis in the real estate sector that pushed several other Chinese developers to default as well. Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 26 Jan. 2024 All fraudulent Should spending increases trigger automatic increases to the U.S. debt limit so that political gridlock does not cause the country to default on its debts? Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024 Dozens of major developers have defaulted on their debt, with Evergrande, once the country’s second largest homebuilder, ordered to liquidate last month. Juliana Liu, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024 But the Biden administration allowed Title 42 to expire last May, and border policy defaulted to the previous standard, which allows most asylum seekers to stay in America while their cases play out in the backlogged court system. Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'default.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English defaute, defaulte, from Anglo-French, from defaillir to be lacking, fail, from de- + faillir to fail

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of default was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near default

Cite this Entry

“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/default. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

default

1 of 2 noun
de·​fault di-ˈfȯlt How to pronounce default (audio)
1
: failure to take action
lost a great opportunity by default
a decision made by default, not by deciding
2
: failure to do something required (as make a payment or appear in court)
in default on a loan
lost a court case by default
3
: a selection to be made automatically according to a computer program when the user does not specify a choice

default

2 of 2 verb
: to fail to carry out a contract, obligation, or duty
defaulter noun

Legal Definition

default

noun
1
: failure to do something required by duty (as under a contract or by law): as
a
: failure to comply with the terms of a loan agreement or security agreement especially with regard to payment of the debt
b
in the civil law of Louisiana : a delay in performing under a contract that is recognized by the other party

Note: A party whose performance under a contract is delayed is not automatically in default. Rather, the law of Louisiana requires that the other party “put him or her in default” by a written or witnessed oral request for performance, by filing suit, or by invoking a specific provision in the contract. Moratory damages may be recoverable for loss caused by the delay.

2
: failure to defend against a claim in court (as by failing to file pleadings or to appear in court) see also default judgment at judgment sense 1a
default verb
defaulter noun
Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French defalte defaute lack, fault, failure to answer a summons, from defaillir to be lacking, fail, from de-, intensive prefix + faillir to fail

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