default

To default is to fail to do something which is expected. (verb)

An example of default is when you fail to pay your credit card bill.

Default is the action of failing to fulfill an obligation. (noun)

An example of default is the action you take when you fail to pay your credit card.

See default in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

failure to do something or be somewhere when required or expected; specif.,
1. failure to pay money due
2. failure to appear in court to defend or prosecute a case
3. failure to take part in or finish a contest
Comput. a preset choice, setting, etc. for automatic use as by a program when no other is specified by a user: often used attributively: a default disk drive on a PC
Obsolete a fault, lack, or want

intransitive verb

to fail to do something or be somewhere when required or expected; specif.,
1. to fail to make payment when due
2. to fail to appear in court when required
3. to fail to take part in or finish a contest
to lose a contest by default

transitive verb

Related Forms:

See default in American Heritage Dictionary 4

(dĭ-fôltˈ)

noun

Failure to perform a task or fulfill an obligation, especially failure to meet a financial obligation: in default on a loan.
Law Failure to make a required court appearance.
The failure of one or more competitors or teams to participate in a contest: won the championship by default.
a. Computer Science A particular setting or value for a variable that is assigned automatically by an operating system and remains in effect unless canceled or overridden by the operator: changed the default for the font in the word processing program.
b. A situation or condition that obtains in the absence of active intervention.

verb de·fault·ed, de·fault·ing, de·faults

verb, intransitive

a. To fail to do what is required.
b. To fail to pay money when it is due.
Law
a. To fail to appear in court when summoned.
b. To lose a case by not appearing.
To fail to take part in or complete a scheduled contest.

verb, transitive