default
noun
de·fault
| \ di-ˈfȯlt
, dē-; ˈdē-ˌfȯlt\
, dē-; ˈdē-ˌfȯlt\
Definition of default
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: failure to do something required by duty or law : neglect
3
economics
: a failure to pay financial debts
was in default on her loan mortgage defaults
4a
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
5a
: 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
in default of
: in the absence of
default
verb
defaulted;
defaulting;
defaults
Definition of default (Entry 2 of 2)
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.
1
: to fail to perform, pay, or make good
default a loan
2a
: forfeit
defaulted the game
b
: to exclude (a player or a team) from a contest by default
was defaulted from the tournament
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Synonyms for default
Synonyms: Noun
delinquency, dereliction, failure, misprision, neglect, negligence, nonfeasance, oversight
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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
The Cardinals will chase in many games, which should lead to 3,500 passing yards by default while expecting a minimum of one passing TD per game. — Shawn Childs, SI.com, "Kyler Murray 2019 Fantasy Football Player Profile," 14 Aug. 2019 Wright, who is backing up Thomas Graham Jr. at field cornerback, would be in position to contribute by default given the lack of returning depth in the Oregon secondary. — oregonlive.com, "Oregon expects ‘tremendously impactful’ season from freshman CB Mykael Wright," 10 Aug. 2019 Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default. — Armond White, National Review, "The Kitchen Is a Berserk, Female-Revenge Fantasy — and a Bad Movie," 9 Aug. 2019 Just tap on a link in the browser and (by default) the file will be downloaded onto iCloud Drive. — Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, "iOS 13: 13 for how Apple's new software can breathe life into your aging iPhone," 3 Sep. 2019 Which is one reason the car doesn’t run in Sport mode by default. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Manual shifting of automatic brings more power, noise," 1 Sep. 2019 This year’s cut-down day figures to be less dramatic - almost by default. — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, "Raiders’ beat writer Matt Kawahara’s fearless 53-man roster projection," 30 Aug. 2019 Austin Corbett left the door open early and a parade of players ran through the position with Eric Kush eventually settling in and winning the job almost by default. — Dan Labbe, cleveland.com, "Browns GM John Dorsey attacks an area of weakness with trade for Wyatt Teller," 29 Aug. 2019 Without an explicit desire to cast actors who looked more like New York, the producers were likely going to end up, as if by default, with an all-white cast. — David Canfield, EW.com, "They almost wrote Jennifer Aniston off the show?! An exclusive look at the making of Friends," 21 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
In other words, customers who might have defaulted to Barneys five years ago have seen an explosion of other options. — Sarah Halzackbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Commentary: Barneys bankruptcy proves luxury retailers aren’t immune to industry turmoil," 6 Aug. 2019 That's why the group successfully lobbied for a new Texas law that abolished a provision that allowed state agencies to not renew professional licenses for teachers, social workers, nurses and others who defaulted on student loans. — Dallas News, "Texas college students take on too much debt, with the heaviest burden on black families, study finds," 24 July 2019 Senator Josh Hawley has introduced a bill requiring colleges to pay off half the loans of students who default. — Robert Verbruggen, National Review, "Two Conservative Ideas for Fixing Student Loans," 23 July 2019 Earlier this year, the ratings agency Moody’s downgraded Lebanon’s credit rating and outlook to negative, reflecting concerns that the country could default on its debts. — Washington Post, "Lebanese parliament convenes on budget amid tight security," 16 July 2019 Compared with Ms Fernández, who defaulted on Argentina’s debt, Mr Fernández is a pragmatic moderate. — The Economist, "Argentina’s main presidential candidates are ignoring the biggest problems," 12 July 2019 Finally, such loan forgiveness would not leave dropouts who default on their loans with the double whammy of no college degree and lousy credit. — CNN, "The candidates are wrong. It's a mistake to pay off college graduates' debt," 3 July 2019 In recent years, down-to-the wire debt-limit negotiations have raised concerns that the U.S. could default on its debt, alarming investors. — Kristina Peterson, WSJ, "New White House, Congressional Spending Fights on the Horizon," 16 Feb. 2019 The immediate cause was Russia’s decision to default on its debt obligations, which sparked fears that other nations might do the same. — Neil Irwin, New York Times, "It’s Another Rocky August in the Markets. Does It Look Like 1998, or 2007?," 12 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'default.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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