failure to act; inaction or neglect: They lost their best client by sheer default.
failure to meet financial obligations.
Law. failure to perform an act or obligation legally required, especially to appear in court or to plead at a time assigned.
Sports. failure to arrive in time for, participate in, or complete a scheduled game, race, etc.
lack; want; absence.
Computers. a value that a program or operating system assumes, or a course of action that a program or operating system will take, when the user or programmer specifies no overriding value or action.
verb (used without object)
to fail in fulfilling or satisfying an engagement, claim, or obligation.
to fail to meet financial obligations or to account properly for money in one's care: When he defaulted in his payments, the bank foreclosed on the car.
Law. to fail to appear in court.
Sports.
to fail to participate in or complete a scheduled game, race, etc.
to lose a scheduled game, race, etc., by default.
Computers. (of a program or operating system) to assume a preset value or take a preselected action unless otherwise instructed by the user or programmer: Your profile defaults to public unless you set the permissions to private.
verb (used with object)
to fail to perform or pay: to default a debt.
to declare to be in default, especially legally: The judge defaulted the defendant.
Law. to lose by failure to appear in court.
Sports.
to fail to compete in (a scheduled game, race, etc.).
to lose by default.
Idioms for default
in default of, for lack or want of; in the absence of: In default of male heirs, his daughters inherited his property.
Origin of default
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English defau(l)te, from Anglo-French defalte, Old French defaute, derivative of defaillir, after faute, faillir. See de-, fault, fail