default

American  

[dih-fawlt, dee-fawlt] / dɪˈfɔlt, ˈdiˌfɔlt /

noun

defaults plural

1. failure to act; inaction or neglect.

   They lost their best client by sheer default.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. lack; want; absence.

   For default of anything better, he took a job washing dishes.

7. 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.

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adjective

1. being 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.

2. 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)

defaults, present (3rd person singular) defaulted, past participle, past defaulting present participle

1. 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.

2. to fail in fulfilling or satisfying an engagement, claim, or obligation.

   They said they would pick me up, but defaulted at the last minute.

3. Law. to fail to appear in court.

   One of the key witnesses defaulted.

4. Sports.

   1. to fail to participate in or complete a scheduled game, race, etc..

      I only placed in that race because my chief rival defaulted.

   2. to lose a scheduled game, race, etc., by default.

5. to behave or respond in a certain way automatically, habitually, or by preference (usually followed byto ).

   It seems that in your relationships you default to being a caregiver instead of a partner.

6. 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 byto ).

   Your profile defaults to public unless you set the permissions to private.

verb (used with object)

defaults, present (3rd person singular) defaulted, past participle, past defaulting present participle

1. to fail to perform or pay.

   to default a debt.

2. to declare to be in default, especially legally.

   The judge defaulted the defendant.

3. Law. to lose by failure to appear in court.

4. Sports.

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

   2. to lose by default.

idioms

1. in default of, for lack or want of; in the absence of.

   In default of male heirs, his daughters inherited his property.

default British  

/ dɪˈfɔːlt /

noun

1. a failure to act, esp a failure to meet a financial obligation or to appear in a court of law at a time specified

2. absence or lack

3. in the absence of opposition or a better alternative

   he became prime minister by default

4. through or in the lack or absence of

5. law a judgment in the plaintiff's favour when the defendant fails to plead or to appear

6. lack, want, or need

7. computing

   1. the preset selection of an option offered by a system, which will always be followed except when explicitly altered

   2. ( as modifier )

      default setting

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verb

1. (intr; often foll by on or in) to fail to make payment when due

2. (intr) to fail to fulfil or perform an obligation, engagement, etc

   to default in a sporting contest

3. law to lose (a case) by failure to appear in court

4. (tr) to declare that (someone) is in default

default Cultural  

1. Failure to pay a debt when it is due.

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default More Idioms  

1. see in default of.

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Usage

What does default mean in loans? Default is the failure to meet one’s financial obligations, for example, when a borrower misses or stops making monthly loan payments. Default on a loan can make it difficult to get loans in the future and may have other serious consequences. If a person defaults on a home mortgage, the bank may foreclose on the loan and take over ownership of the property, to sell it in order to recoup as much of the unpaid portion of the loan as possible. The term not only applies to individuals, but also to businesses and governments that cannot pay back their debts. Default can also mean failure to account properly for money in one’s care.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• predefault
  noun
• nondefaulting
  adjective
• undefaulted
  adjective
• undefaulting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• defaults
  plural

Participles

• defaulting
  present
• defaulted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• default
  simple
• defaults
  simple
• have defaulted
  perfect
• has defaulted
  perfect
• am defaulting
  progressive
• are defaulting
  progressive
• is defaulting
  progressive
• have been defaulting
  perfect progressive
• has been defaulting
  perfect progressive

Past

• defaulted
  simple
• had defaulted
  perfect
• was defaulting
  progressive
• were defaulting
  progressive
• had been defaulting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will default
  simple
• will have defaulted
  perfect
• will be defaulting
  progressive
• will have been defaulting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of default

First 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

Explanation

As a setting, a default is automatic. You weren't sure why your new TV kept returning to the factory defaults until you realized you were sitting on the remote. Default can also refer to a lack of other options. You shop at Green's by default; it's the only grocery store in town. Default is also a failure to pay a financial obligation. The number of loan defaults was down this month. As a verb, it means "to fail to pay." Your credit score will go down if you default on a loan.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

default defaults defaulted defaulting

According to TikTok’s website, minors’ accounts are set to “private” by default, though they can adjust their settings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

While credit scores can suffer when borrowers are just a few months behind, entering default brings the possibility of more serious consequences, including garnished wages or Social Security payments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mississippi has the nation’s highest default rate at 28.3%, and others near the top include Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

"The default," says Foster, "is almost certainly not a single block."

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

The credit default swap had just been invented by bankers at J.P.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Another wave of defaults could be on the way.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Reduced fundraising could hamper lending by private-credit funds, potentially affecting investment and triggering defaults for borrowers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Private-credit funds have been contending with a surge of redemption requests since high-profile defaults last year sparked worries about the health of their investments.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

None of the sovereign defaults over the past decade—among them Argentina, Ecuador, Ghana, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Venezuela—would have been averted by a debt pause.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

In 1998, AIG FP entered the new market for corporate credit default swaps: It sold insurance to banks against the risk of defaults by huge numbers of investment-grade public corporations.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Many of the states with the highest concentrations of defaulted borrowers are in the South, an Associated Press analysis found.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

As England goalkeeper Pickford collected the ball, Mora defaulted to returning to his natural position, failing to close the gap.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Instead, they increasingly defaulted to reading the words themselves.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026

Evergrande eventually defaulted on its debt and the company collapsed two years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

In August it leapt to 25.44 percent, and by the end of the year it stood at 37.7 percent—more than a third of the pool of borrowers had defaulted on their loans.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

In the wake of the 2007-09 recession, the Caesars Entertainment casino empire came close to defaulting on more than $25 billion in debt, and an unusually vicious corporate bankruptcy fight began.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

Starting in June 2025, with the pause having ended nine months prior, borrowers began defaulting again for the first time since the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

Two big loans that were made during the postpandemic boom in private-equity buyouts are defaulting, whacking some private-credit funds and ratcheting up losses in the already troubled corner of Wall Street.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

This contributed to consumers defaulting on high-interest loans, according to the lawsuit.

From Salon ● Apr. 12, 2026

It would probably be a lot easier for me to go over to her house...but again, my mind is defaulting to relying on Fiona for help.

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Related Words

• delinquency
• nonpayment