default.
The condition of failing to meet an obligation.
Meaning & usage
The condition of failing to meet an obligation.
He failed to make payments on time, and he is now in default.
You may cure this default by paying the full amount within a week.
The condition of being an obligation that has not been met.
The deadline has passed, so the debt is now in default.
the original software programming settings as set by the factory
A loss incurred by failing to compete.
The team's three losses include one default.
A selection made in the absence of an alternative.
The man became the leader of the group as a default.
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.
The failure of a defendant to appear and answer a summons and complaint.
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.
Lack; absence.
Fault; offence; wrong act.
Where this word comes from
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. To fail to appear and answer a summons and complaint.
To fail to meet an obligation. To fail to fulfill a financial obligation.
to default on a loan
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.
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.
Where this word comes from
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”).
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.