default, n. & v.
--n.
1 failure to fulfil an obligation, esp. to appear, pay, or act in some way.
2 lack, absence.
3 a preselected option adopted by a computer program when no alternative is specified by the user or programmer.
--v.
1 intr. fail to fulfil an obligation, esp. to pay money or to appear in a lawcourt.
2 tr. declare (a party) in default and give judgement against that party.

Idiom

go by default
1 be ignored because of absence.
2 be absent. in default of because of the absence of. judgement by default judgement given for the plaintiff on the defendant's failure to plead. win by default win because an opponent fails to be present.

Etymology

ME f. OF defaut(e) f. defaillir fail f. Rmc (as DE-, L fallere deceive): cf. FAIL

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THESAURUS

default

AWOL, French leave, abscondence, absence, absence without leave, absentation, absenteeism, absenting, arrear, arrearage, arrears, back debts, back payments, bad debt, be absent, be bereaved of, be caught napping, be neglectful, be negligent, bouncing check, come up short, culpa, culpable negligence, cut, day off, dearth, decline, defalcation, defect, defection, defectiveness, deferred payments, deficiency, deficit, deficit financing, delinquence, delinquency, departure, dereliction, disallow, disappearance, disconformity, dishonor, dishonoring, disregard, dollar gap, drop, escape, excused absence, fail, fail to appear, failure, fall short, falling short, fault, fleeing, forfeit, furlough, gloss over, go astray from, holiday, hooky, ignore, imperfection, inaction, inadequacy, inadvertence, inadvertency, inattention, incur loss, inferiority, inobservance, insufficiency, keep away, kiss good-bye, laches, lack, laissez-faire, lapse, laxity, laxness, leave, leave of absence, leaving, let go, let ride, let slide, let slip, levant, looseness, lose, lose out, lose sight of, lose track of, mislay, misplace, miss, neglect, neglectfulness, negligence, nod, nonadherence, nonappearance, nonattendance, noncompliance, nonconformance, nonconformity, nondischarge of debts, nonfeasance, nonfulfillment, noninterference, nonobservance, nonpayment, nonperformance, nonremittal, nonrestriction, not care for, not come, not get involved, not heed, not pay, not show up, not think, omission, overdraft, overlook, overlooking, oversight, pass over, permissiveness, poor stewardship, privation, procrastination, protest, protested bill, refuse to pay, remissness, repudiate, repudiation, running away, sabbatical leave, sacrifice, short measure, shortage, shortcoming, shortfall, sick leave, slackness, sleep, slight, slump, stop payment, suffer loss, take for granted, truancy, truantism, turn up missing, uncollectible, underage, undergo privation, unexcused absence, unobservance, unrigorousness, vacation, wander from, want, weakness, welsh

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ROGET THESAURUS

default

Debt

N debt, obligation, liability, indebtment, debit, score, bill, check, account (credit), arrears, deferred payment, deficit, default, insolvency, bad debt, interest, premium, usance, usury, floating debt, floating capital, debtor, debitor, mortgagor, defaulter, borrower, indebted, liable, chargeable, answerable for, in debt, in embarrassed circumstances, in difficulties, incumbered, involved, involved in debt, plunged in debt, deep in debt, over one's head in debt, over head and ears in debt, deeply involved, fast tied up, insolvent, minus, out of pocket, unpaid, unrequited, unrewarded, owing, due, in arrear, outstanding, past due, aes alienum debitorem leve gravius inimicum facit, neither a borrower nor a lender be.

Nonpayment

N nonpayment, default, defalcation, protest, repudiation, application of the sponge, whitewashing, insolvency, bankruptcy, failure, insufficiency, run upon a bank, overdrawn account, waste paper bonds, dishonored bills, protested bills, bogus check, bogus cheque, rubber check, bankrupt, insolvent, debtor, lame duck, man of straw, welsher, stag, defaulter, levanter, not paying, non-paying, non-performing, in debt, behindhand, in arrear, behind in payments, in arrears, beggared, unable to make both ends meet, minus, worse than nothing, worthless, insolvent, bankrupt, in the gazette, gazetted, unpaid, gratis, unremunerated.

Shortcoming

N shortcoming, failure, falling short, default, defalcation, leeway, labor in vain, no go, incompleteness, imperfection, insufficiency, noncompletion, failure, unreached, deficient, short, short of, minus, out of depth, perfunctory, within the mark, within the compass, within the bounds, behindhand, re infecta, to no purpose, for from it, the bubble burst.

Neglect

N neglect, carelessness, trifling, negligence, omission, oversight, laches, default, supineness, inattention, nonchalance, imprudence, recklessness, slovenliness improvidence, noncompletion, inexactness, paralipsis, paralepsis, paraleipsis (in rhetoric), trifler, waiter on Providence, Micawber, neglecting, unmindful, negligent, neglectful, heedless, careless, thoughtless, perfunctory, remiss, feebleness, inconsiderate, uncircumspect, incircumspect, off one's guard, unwary, unwatchful, unguarded, offhand, supine, inattentive, insouciant, imprudent, reckless, slovenly inexact, improvident, neglected, unheeded, uncared-for, unperceived, unseen, unobserved, unnoticed, unnoted, unmarked, unattended to, unthought of, unregarded, unremarked, unmissed, shunted, shelved, unexamined, unstudied, unsearched, unscanned, unweighed, unsifted, unexplored, abandoned, buried in a napkin, hid under a bushel, negligently, hand over head, anyhow, in an unguarded moment, per incuriam, Int, never mind, no matter, let it pass, out of sight, out of mind.

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