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
With the settlement, that rate will no longer be the default. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Facebook Messenger also offers end-to-end encryption, but it is not enabled by default. Robin Chataut, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 As a result, Zachry has been saddled with a default judgment, which was valued at $1.15 million at one point, but is now unspecified. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 While the default, standard encryption Apple puts in place is already very strong, ADP covers more of your data, which is reassuring in the slim chance Apple's data centers suffer a breach or the FBI wants to take a look at your iCloud files. David Nield, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 Argentina is famous for its defaults, financial crises, and bad habit of getting stuck in messy litigation in the U.S. courts. Gregory Makoff, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 The phrase due process would serve as his unsatisfying default answer for many substantive questions. Greg Fisher, CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 Europeans scrolling their phones and computers this week will get new choices for default browsers and search engines, where to download iPhone apps, and how their personal online data is used. Kelvin Chan, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 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
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 19 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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