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DEFAULT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

DEFAULT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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English

Meaning of default in English

defaultverb [ I ] uk

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/dɪˈfɒlt/ us

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/dɪˈfɑːlt/

default verb [I]

(FAIL)

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to fail to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: default on People who default on their mortgage repayments may have their home repossessed.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Failing and doing badly

abjectly

at-risk

backbencher

balls (something) up

be on your beam ends idiom

blow (someone/something) up

bomb

egg

flog a dead horse idiom

flop

flub

flunk out

founder

fray around/at the edges idiom

mess

running on empty idiom

sclerotic

screw

screw (something) up

the rot sets in idiom

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Borrowing & lending

default verb [I]

(SPORT)

In sport, if a team or player defaults, they allow the other side to win without playing or completing a game: He moved into the next round after his opponent defaulted because of injury.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sports & games generally

a cheap shot idiom

air

backdoor

bad bounce

bad hop

board sport

buildering

classic

free running

general manager

high jinks

insurance

kabaddi

land

loot

multi-sport

suspended game

the first person

trail running

TTRPG

See more results »

Phrasal verb

default to something

defaultnoun uk

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/dɪˈfɒlt/ /ˈdiː.fɒlt/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/dɪˈfɑːlt/

default noun

(RESULT)

[ U ] the thing that exists or happens if you do not change it intentionally by performing an action: Unless something else is agreed, the default is to meet at the hotel at 7.00 p.m. default value The computer will take 0 as the default value, unless you type in something different.in default of formal In default of (= because there is not) any better alternative, we will have to proceed with the original plan.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Standard and routine

average

average Joe

bog-standard

conformance

conformity

conventionalized

diet

given

institutionalize

mainline

quotidian

regular

regularity

regularization

regularize

round

the/your average bear idiom

unchallenging

unextraordinary

unspectacular

See more results »

default noun

(FAILURE)

[ C or U ] a failure to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: default on Defaults on loan repayments have reached 52,000 a month. Any default on your mortgage payments may mean you will lose your house.in default of He is not in default of any loan and there is no payment currently due.default rate The national student loan default rate (= the number of people failing to pay) is estimated at one in ten.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

the fact of not doing something you shouldfailureFailure to follow the employee guidelines can lead to your immediate termination.defaultThe bank seized his house because his mortgage was in default.malpracticeThe surgeon was sued for malpractice.derelictionHe was dishonourably discharged for dereliction of duty.neglectCorruption and neglect resulted in a government that was weakened enough to be overthrown. negligenceEducational standards deteriorated thanks to the negligence of the administration.

See more results »

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Borrowing & lending

amortizable

amortization

amortize

bonded

borrow

borrow something from something

bridging loan

credit limit

debt

get behind

hole

lending rate

non-prime

nonaccrual

on credit

outstanding

over-borrowed

over-indebtedness

receivership

usury

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Failures

 by default

happening or existing unless some action is taken: This feature is switched off by default but can easily be activated. They have assumed the role of peacemakers almost by default.

If you win or lose something by default, especially in sport, you win or lose because someone else has failed to do something, for example did not play or complete the game, or because they broke the rules: Since they refuse to reply, I think we've won the argument by default. The Brazilian won silver by default. He lost his title by default after refusing to defend it.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sports & games generally

a cheap shot idiom

air

backdoor

bad bounce

bad hop

board sport

buildering

classic

free running

general manager

high jinks

insurance

kabaddi

land

loot

multi-sport

suspended game

the first person

trail running

TTRPG

See more results »

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

default | American Dictionary

defaultverb [ I ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt/

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to fail to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: The company defaulted on a $133 million loan.

defaultnoun

default noun

(FAILURE TO DO)

[ C/U ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdi·fɔlt/ a failure to do something that you legally have to do, such as pay a debt: [ C ] Defaults rose to 4 percent of all the bank’s loans.

[ C/U ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdi·fɔlt/ In sports, to win or lose by default is to win or lose because one side did not compete: [ U ] Humphrey never showed up, so Wilson won by default.

default noun

(STANDARD SETTING)

[ U ] us

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/ˈdi·fɔlt, dɪˈfɔlt/ a standard setting esp. of computer software, such as of type size or style: The default color of text on the screen is black.

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

default | Business English

defaultnoun [ C or U ] uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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FINANCE the fact of not paying interest or other money that is owed on time: Many experts say a default would raise interest rates in the future because the government would be seen as a higher-risk borrower. Any default on the interest payments will have serious consequences. Creditors are frequently obliged to terminate the consumer credit agreement because the debtor is in default.

LAW the fact of not keeping to an agreement or contract: There will be a joint government review of the agreement if there is any default.

IT the way that something will happen or appear automatically, especially on a computer, if you do not make any different choices: Checking this box means that your computer will now use this printer as the default. The default is to provide a statement monthly. This is the default setting, but you can change it by going to the Options menu. We recommend using the defaults that are already set.

 by default

happening or done because no formal choice or decision has been made: The fear was that unless IAS was adopted, US accounting principles would become the world standard by default.

defaultverb [ I ] uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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FINANCE to fail to pay interest or other money that is owed: default on a payment/a mortgage/your rent If a company defaults on its rent, another tenant can be found. I have never defaulted or been late with previous payments.

LAW to fail to keep to an agreement or contract: default on an agreement/a contract They claimed that education providers had defaulted on their agreement with students to provide a course.

IT to happen or appear automatically in a particular way, if a user does not make a different choice: If you do not enter a value it will default to a delay of 20 seconds.

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of default

default

First, all defaults are equally 'cognitive ' in the sense that they are part of cognition.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Likewise, in the commissary's court between 1589 and 1591 only 18 debt cases (13 per cent) had their origins in defaults from formal, written bonds.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

To prevent the recurrence of such defaults, states rewrote their constitutions to sharply limit the debt they could incur.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In other words, externalized aspects of the motor system rather than internalized aspects of the physical world outside ourselves may provide defaults for our perceptions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Other examples are defaults which, in the absence of decisive evidence, prefer one interpretation over the other.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Two axioms specify when pragmatic defaults override lexical ones.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

However, purely lexical defaults do not extend to the second class of exceptions, which are triggered by context, or wider world knowledge.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The dependence between the individual defaults is driven by a small number of systematic factors.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Closed processes correspond to the desired property of an extension i being closed under application of defaults in h.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The version of the compiled module has defaulted to its hash-generated name.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Whenever an agent is constrained, he should be indifferent between defaulting and not defaulting.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In all cases, however, the outside lender is never defaulted upon.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Reneging or defaulting become much less possible and carry many more far-reaching penalties for the government.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In addition, this layer will use defaults to specify any missing values in a feature structure input.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Second, the sovereignty status of countries limits the extent to which countries can be "punished" for defaulting.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of default

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with default

default

These are words often used in combination with default.Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

credit default swapsMoreover, he spoke about derivatives, in particular about the problem of naked credit default swaps on sovereign bonds.

From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English  

default assumptionNow we can (possibly) exercise a default assumption: merge high or merge low without engaging language-specific grammatical assumptions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus  

default modeThis is referred to as voice-activated control and is the default mode for multipoint conferences.

From the Cambridge English Corpus  

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

See all collocations with default

What is the pronunciation of default?

 

B1

Translations of default

in Chinese (Traditional)

拖欠,不履行債務, 違約, 結果…

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in Chinese (Simplified)

拖欠,不履行债务, 违约, 结果…

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in Spanish

suspender pagos, no pagar, falta…

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in Portuguese

faltar, não pagar, default…

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in more languages

in Turkish

in French

in Japanese

in Dutch

in Czech

in Danish

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Swedish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Ukrainian

in Russian

varsayılan, değişime uğramadan önceki hali, yükümlülüğü yerine getirmemek…

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manquer à ses engagements, défaut [masculine], défaut…

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初期設定値(しょき せっていち), 履行(りこう)を怠(おこた)る…

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verzuim, defaultwaarde, in gebreke blijven…

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neplnění, nezaplacení, prodlení…

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ikke opfylde pligt til at betale, default, udeblive…

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pelanggaran, kelalaian, baku…

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การผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้), ค่าโดยปริยาย, ผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้)…

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vỡ nợ, mặc định…

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standard, opcja lub wartość domyślna, nie wywiązać się…

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dröjsmål, ligga efter, standard…

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mungkir, lalai, gagal membayar…

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der Verzug, die Standardeinstellung, in Verzug sein/geraten…

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forsømme sin plikt, misligholde, standardinnstilling [masculine]…

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невиконання зобов'язань, дефолт, стандартний…

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стандартный (размер, конфигурация), что-либо оставленное без изменений…

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defamed

defaming

defang

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default

default judgment

default to something

defaulted

defaulter

More meanings of default

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default judgment

credit default swap

judgement by default

judgement in default

judgment by default

judgment in default

default judgement, at default judgment

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Phrasal Verbs

default to something

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response

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/rɪˈspɒns/

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/rɪˈspɑːns/

an answer or reaction

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Contents

English 

 

Verb 

default (FAIL)

default (SPORT)

Noun 

default (RESULT)

default (FAILURE)

by default

American 

 Verb

Noun 

default (FAILURE TO DO)

default (STANDARD SETTING)

Business 

 

Noun 

default

by default

Verb

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Default Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Default Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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Est. 1828

Dictionary

Definition

noun

verb

noun

2

noun

verb

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default

1 of 2

noun

de·​fault

di-ˈfȯlt 

dē-;

ˈdē-ˌfȯlt

Synonyms of default

1

: failure to do something required by duty or law : neglect

2

archaic

: fault

3

economics

: a failure to pay financial debts

was in default on her loan mortgage defaults

4

a

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

5

a

: 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

default

2 of 2

verb

defaulted; defaulting; defaults

intransitive verb

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.

transitive verb

1

: to fail to perform, pay, or make good

default a loan

2

a

: forfeit

defaulted the game

b

: to exclude (a player or a team) from a contest by default

was defaulted from the tournament

defaulter

noun

Phrases

in default of

: in the absence of

Synonyms

Noun

delinquency

dereliction

failure

misprision

neglect

negligence

nonfeasance

oversight

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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 WebNoun

Pakistan has been relying on bailouts to prop up its foreign exchange reserves and avoid default, with the IMF and wealthy allies like China and Saudi Arabia financing the country to the tune of billions of dollars.

—Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024

Is secondhand about to become the default destination for aspirational luxury buyers?

—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 3 Mar. 2024

The problem, until now, has been that these Reactions are on by default.

—David Phelan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

The financial distress that some consumers are facing hasn't been cascading into defaults on the loans and repossessions of cars or trucks.

—Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024

Starting in January 2024, the payments went into default, which allowed the city, as the lender, to demand that the financing be paid in full.

—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024

But no such default has yet been publicly declared though Moody’s said in mid-2023 that cash on hand had then reached a historical low of 42 days, causing the firm to lower its outlook for Palomar’s future financial performance from stable to negative.

—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024

Their research shows that currently about 14% of all CRE loans and 44% of all office loans are at high risk of default, and if that default rate were to reach 20%, over 380 banks would be at risk of insolvency.

—María Soledad Davila Calero, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024

The government has argued that Google wielded its massive spending power by paying billions of dollars a year to companies like Apple to maintain its default search engine position on their platforms and devices, locking rivals out of the market.

—Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024

Verb

About 15% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK are at risk of defaulting on their debts over the next four years, according to research published today by Allianz Trade.

—Bloomberg, Fortune Europe, 28 Feb. 2024

Fortune Country Garden gets a winding-up petition A creditor of Country Garden, the Chinese mega-developer that defaulted on its debt last October, filed a winding-up petition in Hong Kong court.

—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024

Kennedy said other companies in the areas surrounding the city told Kennedy their systems have been defaulting to Milwaukee's 7.9% sales tax.

—Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024

Some landlords will default — leaving the banks holding the bag.

—Matt Egan, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024

Evergrande defaulted on its offshore debt in December 2021, which sparked a liquidity crisis in the real estate sector that pushed several other Chinese developers to default as well.

—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 26 Jan. 2024

All fraudulent Should spending increases trigger automatic increases to the U.S. debt limit so that political gridlock does not cause the country to default on its debts?

—Charlotte Observer, 22 Feb. 2024

Dozens of major developers have defaulted on their debt, with Evergrande, once the country’s second largest homebuilder, ordered to liquidate last month.

—Juliana Liu, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024

But the Biden administration allowed Title 42 to expire last May, and border policy defaulted to the previous standard, which allows most asylum seekers to stay in America while their cases play out in the backlogged court system.

—Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024

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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'default.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English defaute, defaulte, from Anglo-French, from defaillir to be lacking, fail, from de- + faillir to fail

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of default was

in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing default

in default

in default of

Dictionary Entries Near default

defat

default

defaunate

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

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Merriam-Webster

“Default.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/default. Accessed 12 Mar. 2024.

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Kids Definition

default

1 of 2

noun

de·​fault

di-ˈfȯlt 

1

: failure to take action

lost a great opportunity by default a decision made by default, not by deciding

2

: failure to do something required (as make a payment or appear in court)

in default on a loan lost a court case by default

3

: a selection to be made automatically according to a computer program when the user does not specify a choice

default

2 of 2

verb

: to fail to carry out a contract, obligation, or duty

defaulter

noun

Legal Definition

default

noun

de·​fault

di-ˈfȯlt, ˈdē-ˌfȯlt 

1

: failure to do something required by duty (as under a contract or by law): as

a

: failure to comply with the terms of a loan agreement or security agreement especially with regard to payment of the debt

b

in the civil law of Louisiana

: a delay in performing under a contract that is recognized by the other party

Note:

A party whose performance under a contract is delayed is not automatically in default. Rather, the law of Louisiana requires that the other party “put him or her in default” by a written or witnessed oral request for performance, by filing suit, or by invoking a specific provision in the contract. Moratory damages may be recoverable for loss caused by the delay.

2

: failure to defend against a claim in court (as by failing to file pleadings or to appear in court) see also default judgment at judgment sense 1a

default

verb

defaulter

noun

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French defalte defaute lack, fault, failure to answer a summons, from defaillir to be lacking, fail, from de-, intensive prefix + faillir to fail

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DEFAULT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

DEFAULT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

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Meaning of default in English

defaultverb [ I ] us

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/dɪˈfɑːlt/ uk

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/dɪˈfɒlt/

default verb [I]

(FAIL)

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to fail to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: default on People who default on their mortgage repayments may have their home repossessed.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Failing and doing badly

abjectly

at-risk

backbencher

balls (something) up

be on your beam ends idiom

blow (someone/something) up

bomb

egg

flog a dead horse idiom

flop

flub

flunk out

founder

fray around/at the edges idiom

mess

running on empty idiom

sclerotic

screw

screw (something) up

the rot sets in idiom

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Borrowing & lending

default verb [I]

(SPORTS)

In sports, if a team or player defaults, they allow the other side to win without playing or completing a game: He moved into the next round after his opponent defaulted because of injury.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sports & games generally

a cheap shot idiom

air

backdoor

bad bounce

bad hop

board sport

buildering

classic

free running

general manager

high jinks

insurance

kabaddi

land

loot

multi-sport

suspended game

the first person

trail running

TTRPG

See more results »

Phrasal verb

default to something

defaultnoun us

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/dɪˈfɑːlt/ uk

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/dɪˈfɒlt/ /ˈdiː.fɒlt/

default noun

(RESULT)

[ U ] the thing that exists or happens if you do not change it intentionally by performing an action: Unless something else is agreed, the default is to meet at the hotel at 7:00 p.m.default value The computer will take 0 as the default value, unless you type in something different.in default of formal In default of (= because there is not) any better alternative, we will have to proceed with the original plan.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Standard and routine

average

average Joe

bog-standard

conformance

conformity

conventionalized

given

institutionalize

mainline

quotidian

regular

regularity

regularization

regularize

round

stock

the/your average bear idiom

unchallenging

unextraordinary

unspectacular

See more results »

default noun

(FAILURE)

[ C or U ] a failure to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: default on Defaults on loan repayments have reached 52,000 a month. Any default on your mortgage payments may mean you will lose your house.in default of He is not in default of any loan and there is no payment currently due.default rate The national student loan default rate (= the number of people failing to pay) is estimated at one in ten.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

the fact of not doing something you shouldfailureFailure to follow the employee guidelines can lead to your immediate termination.defaultThe bank seized his house because his mortgage was in default.malpracticeThe surgeon was sued for malpractice.derelictionHe was dishonorably discharged for dereliction of duty.neglectCorruption and neglect resulted in a government that was weakened enough to be overthrown. negligenceEducational standards deteriorated thanks to the negligence of the administration.

See more results »

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Borrowing & lending

amortizable

amortization

amortize

bonded

borrow

borrow something from something

credit limit

debt

get behind

hole

lending rate

non-current

non-interest

non-prime

nonaccrual

on credit

outstanding

use something as collateral

usury

write something off

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Failures

 by default

happening or existing unless some action is taken: This feature is switched off by default but can easily be activated. They have assumed the role of peacemakers almost by default.

If you win or lose something by default, especially in sports, you win or lose because someone else has failed to do something, for example did not play or complete the game, or because they broke the rules: Since they refuse to reply, I think we've won the argument by default. The Brazilian won silver by default. He lost his title by default after refusing to defend it.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Sports & games generally

a cheap shot idiom

air

backdoor

bad bounce

bad hop

board sport

buildering

classic

free running

general manager

high jinks

insurance

kabaddi

land

loot

multi-sport

suspended game

the first person

trail running

TTRPG

See more results »

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

default | Intermediate English

defaultverb [ I ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt/

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to fail to do something, such as pay a debt, that you legally have to do: The company defaulted on a $133 million loan.

defaultnoun

default noun

(FAILURE TO DO)

[ C/U ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdi·fɔlt/ a failure to do something that you legally have to do, such as pay a debt: [ C ] Defaults rose to 4 percent of all the bank’s loans.

[ C/U ] us

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/dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdi·fɔlt/ In sports, to win or lose by default is to win or lose because one side did not compete: [ U ] Humphrey never showed up, so Wilson won by default.

default noun

(STANDARD SETTING)

[ U ] us

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/ˈdi·fɔlt, dɪˈfɔlt/ a standard setting esp. of computer software, such as of type size or style: The default color of text on the screen is black.

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

default | Business English

defaultnoun [ C or U ] uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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FINANCE the fact of not paying interest or other money that is owed on time: Many experts say a default would raise interest rates in the future because the government would be seen as a higher-risk borrower. Any default on the interest payments will have serious consequences. Creditors are frequently obliged to terminate the consumer credit agreement because the debtor is in default.

LAW the fact of not keeping to an agreement or contract: There will be a joint government review of the agreement if there is any default.

IT the way that something will happen or appear automatically, especially on a computer, if you do not make any different choices: Checking this box means that your computer will now use this printer as the default. The default is to provide a statement monthly. This is the default setting, but you can change it by going to the Options menu. We recommend using the defaults that are already set.

 by default

happening or done because no formal choice or decision has been made: The fear was that unless IAS was adopted, US accounting principles would become the world standard by default.

defaultverb [ I ] uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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FINANCE to fail to pay interest or other money that is owed: default on a payment/a mortgage/your rent If a company defaults on its rent, another tenant can be found. I have never defaulted or been late with previous payments.

LAW to fail to keep to an agreement or contract: default on an agreement/a contract They claimed that education providers had defaulted on their agreement with students to provide a course.

IT to happen or appear automatically in a particular way, if a user does not make a different choice: If you do not enter a value it will default to a delay of 20 seconds.

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of default

default

More students have been defaulting in this bad economy, just as more people are defaulting on all of their loans.

From NPR

There is a default spreadsheet that we expect ideas to fit onto.

From The Atlantic

The default mode network has been a hot topic in neuroscience in recent years.

From Wired

A stalemate that causes a default "could seriously damage the global economy," the fund said.

From Bloomberg

The effect, then, of a default on that debt would be devastating.

From NBCNews.com

It would be tough to stay in the euro after a disorderly default.

From Reuters

About one in six people who owe money on their student loans is in default.

From NBCNews.com

The company told investors last year that it expected the 2009 default rate to be 26.7 percent.

From Huffington Post

You start to wonder, why are we the default state?

From CBS News

Yet many of us default to working and spending time with the people we're thrown together with from the start.

From Fast Company

For the first time, all the important data on your phone -- photos, messages, contacts, reminders, call history -- are encrypted by default.

From Wired

That would be the first full sovereign default since 2008.

From Reuters

That was the first time the default rate dropped below 6 percent since before the 2008 financial crisis.

From Business Insider

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with default

default

These are words often used in combination with default. Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

credit default swapsMoreover, he spoke about derivatives, in particular about the problem of naked credit default swaps on sovereign bonds.

From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English  

default assumptionNow we can (possibly) exercise a default assumption: merge high or merge low without engaging language-specific grammatical assumptions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus  

default modeThis is referred to as voice-activated control and is the default mode for multipoint conferences.

From the Cambridge English Corpus  

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

See all collocations with default

What is the pronunciation of default?

 

B1

Translations of default

in Chinese (Traditional)

拖欠,不履行債務, 違約, 結果…

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in Chinese (Simplified)

拖欠,不履行债务, 违约, 结果…

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in Spanish

suspender pagos, no pagar, falta…

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in Portuguese

faltar, não pagar, default…

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in more languages

in Turkish

in French

in Japanese

in Dutch

in Czech

in Danish

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

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in Malay

in German

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in Ukrainian

in Russian

varsayılan, değişime uğramadan önceki hali, yükümlülüğü yerine getirmemek…

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manquer à ses engagements, défaut [masculine], défaut…

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初期設定値(しょき せっていち), 履行(りこう)を怠(おこた)る…

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verzuim, defaultwaarde, in gebreke blijven…

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neplnění, nezaplacení, prodlení…

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ikke opfylde pligt til at betale, default, udeblive…

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pelanggaran, kelalaian, baku…

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การผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้), ค่าโดยปริยาย, ผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้)…

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vỡ nợ, mặc định…

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standard, opcja lub wartość domyślna, nie wywiązać się…

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dröjsmål, ligga efter, standard…

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mungkir, lalai, gagal membayar…

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der Verzug, die Standardeinstellung, in Verzug sein/geraten…

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forsømme sin plikt, misligholde, standardinnstilling [masculine]…

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невиконання зобов'язань, дефолт, стандартний…

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стандартный (размер, конфигурация), что-либо оставленное без изменений…

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defamed

defaming

defang

defat

default

default judgment

default to something

defaulted

defaulter

More meanings of default

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default judgment

credit default swap

judgement by default

judgement in default

judgment by default

judgment in default

default judgement, at default judgment

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Phrasal Verbs

default to something

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Word of the Day

response

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/rɪˈspɒns/

US

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/rɪˈspɑːns/

an answer or reaction

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Contents

English 

 

Verb 

default (FAIL)

default (SPORTS)

Noun 

default (RESULT)

default (FAILURE)

by default

Intermediate 

 Verb

Noun 

default (FAILURE TO DO)

default (STANDARD SETTING)

Business 

 

Noun 

default

by default

Verb

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DEFAULT Definition & Usage Examples | Dictionary.com

DEFAULT Definition & Usage Examples | Dictionary.com

GamesDaily CrosswordWord PuzzleWord FinderAll gamesFeaturedWord of the DaySynonym of the DayWord of the YearNew wordsLanguage storiesAll featuredPop cultureSlangEmojiMemesAcronymsGender and sexualityAll pop cultureWriting tipsGrammar Coach™Writing hubGrammar essentialsCommonly confusedAll writing tipsGamesFeaturedPop cultureWriting tipsdefault[ dih-fawlt, dee-fawlt ]show ipaSee synonyms for default on Thesaurus.comnounfailure to act; inaction or neglect: They lost their best client by sheer default.Finance. failure to meet financial obligations, as when a borrower misses or stops making monthly loan payments: A default on your mortgage can lead to losing the house.Law. failure to perform an act or obligation legally required, especially to appear in court or to plead at a time assigned: The judge dismissed the suit for default of the defendant.Sports. failure to arrive in time for, participate in, or complete a scheduled game, race, etc.: So far the Cougars have had three losses, two wins, and one default.a person’s automatic or standard way of acting or responding; go-to or reflex: Her default is to argue about everything I say, unless she’s in a really good mood.lack; want; absence: For default of anything better, he took a job washing dishes.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.See moreadjectivebeing a person’s automatic or standard action, response, etc.; go-to: Chocolate is my default choice for ice cream, but when I feel adventurous I’ll go for something more exotic.Computers. (of a value, action, etc.) preset or preselected, unless the user or programmer gives other input or instruction: The default contrast setting on this display is 50 percent.verb (used without object)to fail to meet financial obligations, such as payments on a loan, or to account properly for money in one's care: After he defaulted twice, the bank foreclosed on the car.to fail in fulfilling or satisfying an engagement, claim, or obligation: They said they would pick me up, but defaulted at the last minute.Law. to fail to appear in court: One of the key witnesses defaulted.Sports. to fail to participate in or complete a scheduled game, race, etc.: I only placed in that race because my chief rival defaulted.to lose a scheduled game, race, etc., by default.to behave or respond in a certain way automatically, habitually, or by preference (usually followed by to): It seems that in your relationships you default to being a caregiver instead of a partner.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 (usually followed by to): Your profile defaults to public unless you set the permissions to private.See moreverb (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.See moreSee More DefinitionsIdioms about defaultin default of, for lack or want of; in the absence of: In default of male heirs, his daughters inherited his property.Origin of default1First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English defau(l)te, from Anglo-French defalte, Old French defaute, from defaillir, modeled on faute, faillir; equivalent to de- + fault Other words from defaultnon·de·fault·ing, adjective, nounpre·de·fault, noun, verbun·de·fault·ed, adjectiveun·de·fault·ing, adjectiveWords Nearby defaultdefamationdefamatorydefamedefamiliarizationdefangdefaultdefaulterDEFCONdefeasancedefeasedefeasibleDictionary.com Unabridged

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024How to use default in a sentenceWherever possible, work from home should still be the default while we try to contain the virus.I’m a physician and a CEO. Why I won’t bring my employees back to the office before Labor Day 2021 | matthewheimer | August 26, 2020 | FortuneElsewhere, mobile browsers including UC Browser, Brave, Opera Mini and Adblock Browser block ads by default.‘The inevitable maturation of the industry’: Desktop ad blocking is past its peak | Lara O'Reilly | August 20, 2020 | DigidayRich results are the details that appear in addition to the default blue links and text descriptions.An SEO’s guide to event schema markup | Paul Morris | August 14, 2020 | Search Engine WatchThe only two options were nofollow links or dofollow links, the latter being the default for all hyperlinks.What Google says about nofollow, sponsored, and UGC links in 2020: Does it affect your SEO rankings? | Joseph Dyson | July 24, 2020 | Search Engine WatchWhat is less known though, is that Google updated the default segment “Performed Site Search” from “sessions” to “users” not long ago.Eight great tips for internal site search optimization | Marco Bonomo | June 18, 2020 | Search Engine WatchAre we all so stuck in our roles that when a given issue comes up, we just default to type?The St. Louis Rams Enter the Ferguson Fray | Sally Kohn | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe should expect the default to be civility, not harassment.Hey, Creeps, ‘Compliments’ Are Harassment, Too | Tauriq Moosa | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe typical trend is for writers and actors to default to the crudest element of what makes their show work, and lean on that.It’s OK to Like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ | Kevin Fallon | September 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOut of the box, the device is set to a default statistical mode, but within a week, the monitor gets more accurate.Are We Turning Our Babies Into Real Life Tamagotchis? | Brandy Zadrozny | August 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere was no threat of default, government shutdown, huge cuts in government spending, or sharp tax increases.How Obamacare Helped Crash the Economy | Daniel Gross | June 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn default of both, I expect to go to jail, and I am ready to start upon one moment's warning.Portrait and Biography of Parson Brownlow, The Tennessee Patriot | William Gannaway BrownlowIn default of the usual bazaars OLeary had returned with the spoils of half a dozen pawn-shops.The Woman Gives | Owen JohnsonI hitched the horse to my improvised drag and smoothed it again, several times, in default of a roller.The Idyl of Twin Fires | Walter Prichard EatonBefore the letters arrived in London, a default had already been recorded.The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2 | Egerton RyersonHe was perpetually giving an account of it to his own soul in default of other listeners.The Tragic Muse | Henry JamesSee More ExamplesBritish Dictionary definitions for defaultdefault/ (dɪˈfɔːlt) /nouna failure to act, esp a failure to meet a financial obligation or to appear in a court of law at a time specifiedabsence or lackby default in the absence of opposition or a better alternative: he became prime minister by defaultin default of through or in the lack or absence ofjudgment by default law a judgment in the plaintiff's favour when the defendant fails to plead or to appearlack, want, or need(also ˈdiːfɔːlt) computing the preset selection of an option offered by a system, which will always be followed except when explicitly altered(as modifier): default settingSee moreverb(intr; often foll by on or in) to fail to make payment when due(intr) to fail to fulfil or perform an obligation, engagement, etc: to default in a sporting contestlaw to lose (a case) by failure to appear in court(tr) to declare that (someone) is in defaultSee moreOrigin of default1C13: from Old French defaute, from defaillir to fail, from Vulgar Latin dēfallīre (unattested) to be lackingCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition

© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins

Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Cultural definitions for defaultdefaultFailure to pay a debt when it is due.The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition

Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Other Idioms and Phrases with defaultdefaultsee in default of.The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary

Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.Browse#aabbccddeeffgghhiijjkkllmmnnooppqqrrssttuuvvwwxxyyzzAboutCareersShopContact usAdvertise with usCookies, terms, & privacyDo not sell my infoFollow usGet the Word of the Day every day!Sign upBy clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.My account© 2024 Dictionary.com, LLC

DEFAULT | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

DEFAULT | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

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Meaning of default – Learner’s Dictionary

defaultnoun uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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[ no plural ] what exists or happens usually if no changes are made

 by default

If something happens by default, it happens only because something else does not happen: No one else stood in the election, so he won by default.

default adjective [ always before noun ]

The default font size is 10.

defaultverb [ I ] uk

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/dɪˈfɔːlt/ us

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to not do what you have made an agreement to do, especially paying back money you have borrowed: They have defaulted on their debt repayments.

(Definition of default from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of default

in Chinese (Traditional)

拖欠,不履行債務, 違約, 結果…

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in Chinese (Simplified)

拖欠,不履行债务, 违约, 结果…

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in Spanish

suspender pagos, no pagar, falta…

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in Portuguese

faltar, não pagar, default…

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varsayılan, değişime uğramadan önceki hali, yükümlülüğü yerine getirmemek…

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manquer à ses engagements, défaut [masculine], défaut…

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初期設定値(しょき せっていち), 履行(りこう)を怠(おこた)る…

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verzuim, defaultwaarde, in gebreke blijven…

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neplnění, nezaplacení, prodlení…

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ikke opfylde pligt til at betale, default, udeblive…

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pelanggaran, kelalaian, baku…

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การผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้), ค่าโดยปริยาย, ผิดนัด (ชำระหนี้)…

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vỡ nợ, mặc định…

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standard, opcja lub wartość domyślna, nie wywiązać się…

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dröjsmål, ligga efter, standard…

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mungkir, lalai, gagal membayar…

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der Verzug, die Standardeinstellung, in Verzug sein/geraten…

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forsømme sin plikt, misligholde, standardinnstilling [masculine]…

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невиконання зобов'язань, дефолт, стандартний…

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стандартный (размер, конфигурация), что-либо оставленное без изменений…

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Contents

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Noun 

default

by default

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default

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default - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

default - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

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UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/dɪˈfɔːlt/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/dɪˈfɔlt/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(di fôlt′)

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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024de•fault /dɪˈfɔlt/USA pronunciation  

n. [uncountable]

failure to act, esp. failure to pay one's debts:to face financial default.

Sportfailure to appear for or complete a match:progressed into the finals because of his opponent's default.

Computinga preset value that a computer system assumes or an action that it takes unless it is otherwise instructed:When you start your computer from the A drive, then that is the default for later disk operations.

v.  [no obj] to fail to pay, perform a duty, etc.:The bank had defaulted on that loan.

Sportto fail to compete in (a contest); to lose by default: [no obj]:He defaulted and left the tournament.[ ~ + obj]:He defaulted the match and left in disgust.

Idioms

Idioms in default of, for lack of; in the absence of:In default of a workable plan they decided to proceed on a day-to-day basis.

de•fault•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024de•fault 

(di fôlt′),USA pronunciation n. 

failure to act; inaction or neglect:They lost their best client by sheer default.

failure to meet financial obligations.

Lawfailure to perform an act or obligation legally required, esp. to appear in court or to plead at a time assigned.

Sportfailure to arrive in time for, participate in, or complete a scheduled match.

lack; want; absence.

Computinga 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.

v.i.  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.

Lawto fail to appear in court.

Sport

to fail to participate in or complete a match.

to lose a match by default.

v.t.  to fail to perform or pay:to default a debt.

to declare to be in default, esp. legally:The judge defaulted the defendant.

Sport

to fail to compete in (a scheduled game, race, etc.).

to lose by default.

Lawto lose by failure to appear in court.

Anglo-French defalte, Old French defaute, derivative of defaillir, after faute, faillir. See de-, fault, fail Middle English defau(l)te 1175–1225

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

default /dɪˈfɔːlt/ n a failure to act, esp a failure to meet a financial obligation or to appear in a court of law at a time specified absence or lackby default ⇒ in the absence of opposition or a better alternative: he became prime minister by defaultin default of ⇒ through or in the lack or absence ofjudgment by default ⇒ a judgment in the plaintiff's favour when the defendant fails to plead or to appear /(also) ˈdiːfɔːlt/ the preset selection of an option offered by a system, which will always be followed except when explicitly altered (as modifier): default setting vb (intr; often followed by on or in) to fail to make payment when due(intransitive) to fail to fulfil or perform an obligation, engagement, etc: to default in a sporting contest to lose (a case) by failure to appear in courtEtymology: 13th Century: from Old French defaute, from defaillir to fail, from Vulgar Latin dēfallīre (unattested) to be lacking

'default' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

comaker

- contingent liability

- credit risk

- defaulter

- delinquency

- equity of redemption

- failing

- guarantee

- guaranty

- hammer

- judgment note

- junk bond

- neglect

- non-pros

- nondefaulting

- predefault

- rat

- security

- surety

- undefaulted

- undefaulting

In Lists: Top 2000 English words, more...Synonyms: non-payment, failure to pay, delinquency, non-remittance, failure, more...Collocations: [financial, mortgage, payment] default, [sheer, pure, mindless] default, is [facing, heading for] financial default, more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "default" in the title:...to its default..

[loser?] by default

A word for default, start, judgement, decision.

add our promotional image to every article by default

As usual, his default mode was one of combat readiness

At default

be in default

be the default on

become a default

But we don't want to default this to NATO-Russia conflict.

by default

By default

by default

by default

by default

By default

by default (casual speech)

By default rather than by design vs Fall into

Comes with original product in/by default?

default

default

Default

Default

default

default

default

default (adjective)

default (verb)

default at bay

default candidate

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default noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

default noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced American Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

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Definition of default noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

 default nounnoun NAmE//dɪˈfɔlt//  jump to other results1[uncountable, countable] failure to do something that must be done by law, especially paying a debt The company is in default on the loan. Mortgage defaults have risen in the last year.

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

2[uncountable, countable, usually singular] (computing) what happens or appears if you do not make any other choice or change The default option is to save your work every five minutes. On this screen, 256 colors is the default.

Idioms by default jump to other results1a game or competition can be won by default if there are no other people, teams, etc. taking part He became world champion in 2007 by default. 2if something happens by default, it happens because you have not made any other decision or choice that would make things happen in a different way I became a teacher by default rather than by design. in default of something (formal) jump to other resultsbecause of a lack of something They accepted what he had said in default of any evidence to disprove it.See default in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: default

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Default Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

Default Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

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The Britannica Dictionary

default

2 ENTRIES FOUND:

default (noun)

default (verb)

1

default

/dɪˈfɑːlt/

noun

plural

defaults

1

default

/dɪˈfɑːlt/

noun

plural

defaults

Britannica Dictionary definition of DEFAULT

[noncount]

— used to describe something that happens or is done when nothing else has been done or can be done

— usually used in the phrase by default

No one else wanted the job, so he became the club's president by default.

Their decision was made by default. All of the other options were no longer possible.

We won the game by default when the other team failed to show up.

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— sometimes used before another noun

the default winner

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:

a failure to make a payment (such as a payment on a loan)

[noncount]

She's in default on her loan. [=she missed a payment on her loan]

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[count]

mortgage defaults

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[noncount]

law

:

failure to appear in court

The defendant has made no appearance in the case and is in default.

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[count]

computers

:

a setting, option, etc., that a computer uses if you do not choose a different one

You can enter your own settings or use the defaults.

Which font is the default in that computer program?

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— often used before another noun

the computer's default settings

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in default of

formal

:

in the absence of (something)

:

without (something)

In default of evidence, there can be no trial.

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2

default

/dɪˈfɑːlt/

verb

defaults;

defaulted;

defaulting

2

default

/dɪˈfɑːlt/

verb

defaults;

defaulted;

defaulting

Britannica Dictionary definition of DEFAULT

[no object]

:

to fail to do something that legally must be done

especially

:

to fail to make the payments you must make on a loan, mortgage, etc.

He defaulted on his loan (payments).

If the borrower defaults, the bank can take the house.

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of a computer

:

to automatically use a particular setting, option, etc., unless you choose a different one

The program defaults to a standard font.

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— defaulter

noun,

plural

defaulters

[count]

loan defaulters

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