defaulted

IPA/dɪˈfɒlt/
KK[dɪfˈɔltɪd]IPA/dɪˈfɑːlt/

defaulted — noun

1. the choice or value a computer program or device picks on its own when you do no

1.nounB1
Definition

the choice or value a computer program or device picks on its own when you do not tell it to use something different

Example

Andrés kept the default ringtone because he could never settle on a better one.

collocation: default + [noun]

On Linh's laptop the default browser opened a dozen tabs every time it launched.

Common collocations
  • by default
  • default setting
  • default value
  • factory default
Synonyms
  • preset

    more common in everyday talk about device settings and preferences

  • standard

    broader word; not limited to computers or software

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

by default

default + [noun]

Usage Note

Always used in the singular. Often appears in the phrase 'by default' to mean 'unless someone chooses otherwise.'

Common Mistakes

I changed the default of the phone.
I changed the phone's default settings.
Use 'default' as an adjective before the noun, not with 'of.'

2. not doing what a law, contract, or formal agreement requires you to do — most of

2.nounB2
Definition

not doing what a law, contract, or formal agreement requires you to do — most often used about failing to pay back borrowed money

Example

Eli's car loan went into default after he lost his job at the warehouse.

collocation: go into default

The bank sent Faisal a final notice before declaring the mortgage in default.

collocation: in default

Common collocations
  • in default
  • go into default
  • default judgment
  • credit default
Synonyms
  • non-payment

    narrower; only covers money, not court appearances or other duties

  • delinquency

    formal term heard mostly in finance and banking

  • breach

    broader legal word for breaking any part of an agreement

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

in default

go into default

be in default

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, company, or loan. Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'in default.' Distinguish from noun/1 (PRESET OPTION): this sense always involves a legal or financial obligation that has not been met.

Common Mistakes

He is in fault with his loan repayments.
He is in default on his loan repayments.
The fixed expression is 'in default,' not 'in fault.'

defaulted — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

When you default on something, you fail to meet a formal, legally binding obligation — most often a loan repayment. Fail is the broadest of these words: you can fail an exam, fail to arrive on time, or fail a friend, and none of those carry legal weight. Breach is narrower and more technical; it names the act of breaking a specific clause of a contract, and lawyers use it where ordinary speakers would say default. Neglect suggests a slow, careless slide into non-performance — a neglected duty erodes over time through inattention, whereas a loan default can happen the moment a single payment is missed. Reneging is about going back on a promise or commitment, usually in personal or informal settings ('she reneged on her offer to help'), and it carries a note of moral disapproval that the legal term default does not. Choose default when the obligation is financial, the framework is legal, and the consequence is serious: 'The company defaulted on its bonds, triggering a sell-off.'

fail ↗breach ↗renegeneglect ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchMiddle English

Default came into English through Anglo-French defaute, meaning 'lack' or 'failure,' from the Old French verb defaillir ('to fail, to be lacking'). That verb was built from Latin de- ('away, from') plus fallere ('to deceive, to fail'). The computing sense — a value a machine picks when no choice is made — is a 20th-century development, drawing on the older idea of something happening 'in the absence of' an active decision.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb