default
/dɪˈfɔːlt/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A setting, option, or value used automatically unless someone changes it. It is the normal choice already built in.
- This app uses the default language.
- Please leave the settings on default.
verb
To fail to do what is required, especially to fail to pay money back or appear in court.
- He defaulted on the loan.
- The company defaulted on its payments.
adjective
Chosen or used automatically because nothing else is selected. It can also mean standard or usual.
- Use the default option.
- That is the default answer.
Adinary Nuance
Default is often close to standard, normal, or automatic, but it is more specific. It means the option is already built in and is used unless you change it. In finance or law, default is different from failure in general: it means not paying or not meeting a duty.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- mặc định
- Spanish
- predeterminado
- Chinese
- 默认
- Japanese
- デフォルト
- Korean
- 기본
Etymology
Default came into English from Old French defaute, from Latin de- + fallere, meaning “to fail.” The original idea of failure is still clear in the verb and noun uses.
Common phrases
default settingdefault optionby defaultdefault on a loan
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is default the same as standard?
- Sometimes, but not always. Default means the preselected choice or the failure to meet a duty.
- Is default formal or informal?
- It is common in everyday English, but also very useful in business, IT, and legal writing.
- How do I use default in a sentence?
- You can say, “The app opens with the default settings.”
- What is the verb default used for?
- It usually means to fail to pay money back or fail to meet a legal duty.