- [uncountable, countable, usually singular] what happens or appears if you do not make any other choice or change, especially in a computer program
- The default is fifty lines.
- The default option is to save your work every five minutes.
- What is your default browser?
- All my life, envy has been my default emotion.
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- [uncountable, countable] failure to do something that must be done by law, especially paying a debt
- in default (on something) The company is in default on the loan.
- Mortgage defaults have risen in the last year.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French defaut, from defaillir ‘to fail’, based on Latin fallere ‘disappoint, deceive’.
Idioms
See default in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee default in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishby default
- a 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.
- if something happens by default, it happens because you have not made any other decision or choices that would make things happen in a different way
- I became a teacher by default rather than by design.
in default of something
- (formal) because of a lack of something
- They accepted what he had said in default of any evidence to disprove it.
Check pronunciation:
default