default

  • noun 1 failure to fulfil an obligation, especially to repay a loan or appear in a law court. 2 a pre-selected option adopted by a computer program or other mechanism when no alternative is specified.

  • verb 1 fail to fulfil an obligation, especially to repay a loan or to appear in court. 2 (default to) revert automatically to (a pre-selected option).

  — PHRASES by default because of a lack of opposition or positive action. in default of in the absence of.

  — ORIGIN from Old French defaillir ‘to fail’, from Latin fallere ‘disappoint, deceive’.

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