defaulted
UK[dɪˈfɔːltɪd]US[dɪˈfɔːltɪd]
v
failed to fulfill an obligation, especially to repay a loan or appear in a court of law.
v
(in computing) reverted to a preselected option when no alternative is specified.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
fault
ed
de
completely
fault
failure
ed
verb past tense suffix
Etymology
the word 'default' entered english in the early 13th century from the old french 'defaute,' meaning "fault, defect, failure." the old french term itself derived from the vulgar latin 'defallita,' a feminine past participle of 'defallere,' meaning "to fail, be lacking." this latin construction is a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and the verb 'fallere,' meaning "to deceive, disappoint, escape notice of." the core notion evolved from "to deceive or fail" to a specific failure to act, such as failing to appear or pay. the past tense form 'defaulted' simply applies the standard english past-tense suffix '-ed' to this established noun-turned-verb, solidifying its meaning of having committed a specific failure, particularly a financial or legal one.
Analysis
Structure: de (completely) + fault (failure) + ed (verb past tense suffix)
de: a latin prefix meaning "completely, down from, away." in this word, it functions as an intensifier.
fault: from old french 'faute,' meaning "lack, deficiency, failure." it serves as the core root denoting failure.
ed: an old english suffix used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
the company defaulted on its multi-million dollar bond payment.
he defaulted on his student loans after graduating.
if you don't make a selection, the software defaulted to the standard settings.