default
UK: dɪˈfɔːlt | US: dɪˈfɔːlt
n. 1. Failure to fulfill an obligation, especially financial (e.g., loan default).
n. 2. A preselected option or value automatically adopted if no alternative is specified.
vi. 3. To fail to meet a legal or financial obligation.
default = de<away, down> + fault<lack, failure>
- de (prefix): From Latin de-, meaning "away, down," often implying negation or reversal.
- fault: From Old French faute ("lack, failure"), derived from Latin fallere ("to deceive, disappoint").
Etymology Origin:
The word default entered English via Old French (defaute) in the 13th century, originally meaning "lack, failure to act." The prefix de- intensifies the sense of "falling short." By the 16th century, it gained financial/legal connotations (e.g., failing to repay a debt). The computing sense ("preselected option") emerged in the 20th century, metaphorically extending the idea of "what happens if no action is taken."
The borrower risked penalties for default on the loan.
The software uses 12px as the default font size.
If you default on your mortgage, the bank may seize the property.
The team lost by default when they failed to arrive on time.
Change the default settings to improve performance.