Etymology From Middle English defaut, defaute, from Old French defaute (“fault, defect, failure, culpability, lack”), ultimately from Latin de- (“away”) + fallo (“deceive, cheat, escape notice of”).
A selection made in the absence of an alternative.
The man became the leader of the group as a default.
One of the darlings of the early vegetarian movement (particularly in its even sadder form, the cutlet), it was on the menu at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium [sic], and has since become the default Sunday option for vegetarians – and a default source of derision for everyone else.2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian:
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Overall the signage at NIE has the appearance being a top-down artefact driven by institutional policy with English set as the default language.2019, Li Huang, James Lambert, “Another Arrow for the Quiver: A New Methodology for Multilingual Researchers”, in Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, →DOI, page 6:
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Often A value used when none has been given; a tentative value or standard that is presumed.
If you don't specify a number of items, the default is 1.
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Law The failure of a defendant to appear and answer a summons and complaint.
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Obsolete A failing or failure; omission of that which ought to be done; neglect to do what duty or law requires.
This evil has happened through the governor's default.
one was dragging a great coat from the window, before which it had long hung as a blind, in total default of glass or shutters1820, [Charles Robert Maturin], Melmoth the Wanderer: A Tale. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Company, and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., […], →OCLC, page 156:
regardless of our merit or default1728, [Alexander Pope], “(please specify the page)”, in The Dunciad. An Heroic Poem. […], Dublin; London: […] A. Dodd, →OCLC:
Etymology From Middle English defaut, defaute, from Old French defaute (“fault, defect, failure, culpability, lack”), ultimately from Latin de- (“away”) + fallo (“deceive, cheat, escape notice of”).
› To fail to meet an obligation.
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Law To fail to appear and answer a summons and complaint.
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Business, Finance To fail to fulfill a financial obligation.
to default on a loan
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To lose a competition by failing to compete.
If you refuse to wear a proper uniform, you will not be allowed to compete and will default this match.
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, SciencesAmbitransitive To assume a value when none was given; to presume a tentative value or standard.
If you don't specify a color, it defaults to red.
It defaults your application to Windows authentication mode, and if you want to use forms mode, you can just change it in the authentication section of the file.2002, Tony Martin, Dominic Selly, Visual Basic .NET at Work: Building 10 Enterprise Projects, page 346: