default

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [U,C] failure to do sth that must be done by law, especially paying a debt: The company is in default on the loan. * Mortgage defaults have risen in the last year. 2 [U,C,usually sing.] (especially computing) what happens or appears if you do not make any other choice or change: The default option is to save your work every five minutes. * On this screen, 256 colours is the default. IDIOMS by default 1 a game or competition can be won by default if there are no other competitors: He became world champion in 1990 by default. 2 if sth happens by default, it happens because you have not made any other decision or choices which would make things happen differently: I became a teacher by default rather than by design. in default of sth (formal) because of a lack of sth: They accepted what he had said in default of any evidence to disprove it. verb [V] 1 ~ (on sth) to fail to do sth that you legally have to do, especially by not paying a debt: to default on a loan / debt * defaulting borrowers / tenants 2 ~ (to sth) (especially computing) to happen when you do not make any other choice or change defaulter noun: mortgage defaulters