default

default — noun

1. a preset value or selection that a machine, computer, or system uses when a pers

1.nounB2
Definition

a preset value or selection that a machine, computer, or system uses when a person does not choose a different one; the thing that happens automatically if no other action is taken.

Example

Sirin changed the printer's default from colour to black-and-white to save ink.

possessive noun + default as countable noun

The default on this phone is to lock the screen after thirty seconds of inactivity.

Common collocations
  • change the default
  • restore defaults
  • factory default
  • default setting
  • default option
  • default value
Synonyms
  • preset

    less common in everyday speech; more technical

  • standard

    broader — can refer to any usual quality level, not just an automatic choice

Antonyms
  • custom setting

    a setting chosen by the user rather than the pre-programmed one

Grammar Patterns

the default + noun

by default

Usage Note

Very common in computing contexts. When used in the plural (defaults), it often refers to the original factory settings of a device.

Common Mistakes

I changed the defect settings.
I changed the default settings.
default (automatic choice) and defect (fault/flaw) sound similar but have very different meanings.

2. a situation in which a person, company, or country fails to meet a legal or fina

2.nounB2
Definition

a situation in which a person, company, or country fails to meet a legal or financial duty, especially not repaying borrowed money when it is due.

Example

The company was in default on its loan payments for over six months.

in default on + noun phrase

Christopher faced a lawsuit after the mortgage default on his apartment.

Common collocations
  • in default
  • default on a loan
  • mortgage default
  • loan default
  • risk of default
  • technical default
Synonyms
  • non-payment

    more specific — focuses only on the failure to pay, not other legal duties

  • delinquency

    formal term, especially US finance, for being late on payments

Antonyms
  • repayment

    the act of paying back borrowed money

  • fulfillment

    meeting the terms of a contract or agreement

Grammar Patterns

in default

default on + noun (debt/loan/mortgage)

be in default

Usage Note

Commonly appears in financial and legal contexts. The most frequent pattern is default on a loan/mortgage/debt, or the phrase in default. A person or institution that defaults is called a defaulter.

Common Mistakes

He made a default on his credit card bill.
He defaulted on his credit card bill.
as a noun, default is usually used in set phrases (in default, risk of default) rather than with make.

3. the original or built-in condition of a device or system as it comes from the fa

3.nounB2
Definition

the original or built-in condition of a device or system as it comes from the factory or when first installed, which stays unchanged unless a person chooses to modify it.

Example

The default position of the control lever is upright, which stops the motor.

default position + explanation via relative clause

Eri prefers to read with the default font size rather than changing the display.

Common collocations
  • default setting
  • default position
  • default mode
  • default font
  • default language
  • default behaviour
Synonyms
  • initial

    focuses on the starting point rather than the automatic quality

  • standard

    can be used in similar patterns but suggests a norm rather than an automatic fallback

Antonyms
  • custom

    something tailored by the user

  • manual

    requiring human action to set

Grammar Patterns

default + noun (setting/position/mode/option)

Usage Note

Always placed before the noun it modifies (default setting, default mode, default behaviour). This attributive use is very productive — you can combine default with almost any noun that describes a configurable state.

4. a result in which a competitor wins or loses because the opponent did not take p

4.nounB2
Definition

a result in which a competitor wins or loses because the opponent did not take part in the match, did not finish it, or was removed for breaking the rules.

Example

Chidi won the chess tournament by default when his final opponent did not arrive.

by default as adverbial phrase

The tennis match ended by default after a player twisted her ankle.

Common collocations
  • by default
  • win by default
  • lose by default
Synonyms
  • forfeit

    can be both a noun and verb; slightly more formal

  • walkover

    informal, especially British English, for an easy win

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

by default

win/lose by default

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase by default. You can win or lose by default. Outside sports, by default also has a general meaning: 'because nothing else was chosen or happened' (e.g., He became the leader by default when everyone else quit.)

Common Mistakes

He defaulted the match by not showing up.' (for the noun sense)
He lost the match by default when he did not show up.
the noun sense takes the phrase by default, not default as a verb.
Idioms

by default

idiom

When something happens because no one else is available or no other option is chosen.

Sara won the race by default after the other runner was injured.

Did Brian become team captain by default when no one else wanted the job?

in default of something

idiom

Used to say that something happens because something else is not available or does not exist.

In default of a better plan, we decided to stay home.

Maya used her old phone in default of a new one.

default — verb

Word family

  • defaulter
    nounC1
  • non-default
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Default, preset, standard, and baseline all refer to a starting point or a norm, but they differ in use. Default is specific to situations where a value or behaviour is used automatically unless the user changes it — it is the fallback. Preset is narrower: it means a value programmed at the factory, not necessarily one that the system falls back to. Standard is broader and more informal — it can mean 'usual' or 'normal' in any context, not just computing ('standard practice', 'standard size'). Baseline is a technical term used in data analysis and project management for a reference point against which changes are measured. For example, a phone's default ringtone is what the manufacturer programmed (preset), and it is also the standard sound most people hear, but the baseline volume level is a reference engineers use during testing.

presetstandard ↗baseline ↗default option

Common collocations

Nouns

  • default setting
  • default option
  • default position
  • default value
  • default mode
  • default font
  • default language
  • mortgage default
  • loan default
  • credit default

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by default
  • in default
  • risk of default
  • default on a loan
  • factory default
  • return to default

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Default comes from the Old French word defaute, meaning 'fault, failure, or absence.' The de- prefix carries the sense of 'away' or 'lack,' and faute (which gave English 'fault') meant a failing or deficiency. The word entered English in the 1200s, first referring to a failure to meet an obligation or a legal duty. The computing meaning — a choice made automatically when no alternative is selected — emerged in the 1960s as programmers needed a word for fallback values in software.