default
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
default/dɪˈfɔːlt/
▶noun
- 1 failure to fulfil an obligation, especially to repay a loan or appear in a law court.
- 2 a preselected option adopted by a computer program or other mechanism when no alternative is specified.
- 1 fail to fulfil an obligation: some had defaulted on student loans.
■ declare (a party) in default and give judgement against that party.
- 2 (default to) revert automatically to (a preselected option).
– phrases
by default because of a lack of opposition or positive action: he became an actor by default.
go by default (of a case) be decided in favour of one party because of lack of opposition by the other party.
in default guilty of default.
in default of in the absence of.
by default because of a lack of opposition or positive action: he became an actor by default.
go by default (of a case) be decided in favour of one party because of lack of opposition by the other party.
in default guilty of default.
in default of in the absence of.
– origin ME: from OFr. defaut, from defaillir ‘to fail’, based on L. fallere ‘disappoint, deceive’.
'default' also found in these Oxford entries:
