| n. | 1. | A failing or failure; omission of that which ought to be done; neglect to do what duty or law requires; | |||
| 2. | Fault; offense; ill deed; wrong act; failure in virtue or wisdom. | ||||
| 3. | (Law) A neglect of, or failure to take, some step necessary to secure the benefit of law, as a failure to appear in court at a day assigned, especially of the defendant in a suit when called to make answer; also of jurors, witnesses, etc.
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| v. i. | 1. | To fail in duty; to offend. | |||
| 2. | To fail in fulfilling a contract, agreement, or duty. | ||||
| 3. | To fail to appear in court; to let a case go by default. | ||||
| v. t. | 1. | To fail to perform or pay; to be guilty of neglect of; to omit; | |||
| 2. | (Law) To call a defendant or other party whose duty it is to be present in court, and make entry of his default, if he fails to appear; to enter a default against. | ||||
| 3. | To leave out of account; to omit. | ||||
| Noun | 1. | default - loss due to not showing up; "he lost the game by default" |
| 2. | default - act of failing to meet a financial obligation Synonyms: nonpayment, nonremittal | |
| 3. | default - loss resulting from failure of a debt to be paid Synonyms: nonpayment, nonremittal | |
| 4. | default - an option that is selected automatically unless an alternative is specified Synonyms: default option | |
| Verb | 1. | default - fail to pay up Synonyms: default on |
DEFAULT. The neglect to perform a legal obligation or duty; but in technical
language by default is often understood the non-appearance of the defendant
within the time prescribed by law, to defend himself; it also signifies the
non-appearance of the plaintiff to prosecute his claim.
2. When the plaintiff makes default, he may be nonsuited; and when the
defendant makes default, judgment by default is rendered against him. Com.
Dig. Pleader, E 42 Id. B 11. Vide article Judgment by Default, and 7 Vin.
Ab. 429; Doct. Pl. 208 Grah. Pr. 631. See, as to what will excuse or save a
default, Co. Litt. 259 b.
DEFAULT, contracts, torts. By the 4th section of the English statute of frauds, 29 Car. H., c. 3, it is enacted that "no action shall be brought to charge the defendant upon any special promise to answer for the debt, default, or miscarriage of another person, unless the agreement," &c., "shall be in writing," &c. By default under this statute is understood the non-performance of duty, though the same be not founded on a contract. 2 B. & A. 516.
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, 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, 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, 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, weakness, welsh