fals-, fall- +

1. An option that will automatically be selected by a computer if the user does not choose one: "Some Canadian computers hve a spelling default for North American spelling."

"Defaults are important for making computer systems behave in a predictable way without the user having to give lots of obvious details."

2. Failure to perform a task or to fulfill an obligation; especially, a failure to meet a financial obligation: "The default on the mortgage payments was a great concern to the bank and the stockholders."
3. A failure to make a required court appearance: "The plaintiff was found in default of the court by not coming to the trial on time."
4. In sports, non-participation in competition or a failure to appear for or to complete a competition: "The home team won the championship by default because the opposing team didn't show up for the last game."
5. Etymology: from early 13th century, "offense, crime, sin"; then in the late 13th century, "failure, failure to act"; from Old French defaute (12th century), "fault, defect, failure, culpability, lack, privation"; from Vulgar Latin defallita, "a deficiency or failure"; past participle of defallere, from Latin de-, "away" + fallere, "to deceive, to cheat; to put wrong, to lead astray, to cause to be mistaken; to escape notice of, be concealed from".

1. To fail to pay a debt or other financial obligation: "He defaulted on his loan."
2. To fail to make an appearance in court although summoned to do so: "He was fined by the court because of his default in not making an appearance."
3. To fail to appear for a game of sports or a contest when someone has agreed to do it: "The flat tire on the bus caused the team to default on the game to which they were going."
4. With a computer, to use a device, a command, or a file when no other one is specified: "The computer program defaults to a standard font."

1. Debtors who fail to meet their financial obligations: "Charles Dickens' books are filled with stories of defaulters who went to debtor's prison."
2. Someone who fails to respond to a court summons: "The judge was not impressed by the defaulter because this was the second time the plaintiff had chosen to default on a court appearance."
3. A person or team that fails to appear for a game or contest: "The home team was severely criticized because they were the defaulters at a critical game."

A defect in an electric circuit, component, or line; such as, a short circuit: "The mother blew a fuse because of an electrical fault in her iron when she plugged it into the socket." "A woman went outside to take care of her flowers one morning when a sudden explosion took place in her kitchen because of some kind of electrical faults in her refrigerator that resulted in a severe fire in her apartment."

1. To be unsuccessful in trying to do something: "I found out that he had failed to pass his math exam."
2. To be incapable of doing something or unwilling to do it: "At least one student in class failed to understand the last question on the examination."
3. To fall short of the standard required to pass an examination, course, or piece of academic work: "She failed her Spanish exam because she didn't study the necessary assignments."
4. To judge that a student is not good enough to pass an examination, course, or piece of academic work: "The teacher had to tell three students that they had failed the science examination."
5. To stop working or not performing or growing as expected: "The brakes on the car failed when she tried to stop."
6. To collapse financially or becoming insolvent or bankrupt: "The woman's small business failed because new trade agreements did not allow her to import popular products."
7. To abandon, to forsake, or to let someone down by not doing what is expected or needed: "The neighbor failed her sister by being too late for their appointment."
8. To lose strength, loudness, or brightness: "The light started to fail just when we needed it."
9. Etymology: from Old French falir, Modern French faillir, "be lacking, miss, not succeed"; from Common or Vulgar Latin fallire; from Latin fallere, "to trip, to cause to fall"; figuratively, "to deceive, to trick, to dupe, to cheat, to elude"; fail, "be lacking" or "being defective".

In the absence of something, being without: "Failing progress in the peace process, more attacks are likely."

"They thought that presenting the advantages of getting together for the project would be sufficient reasons for combining their skills or, failing that, then they will just have to cancel the deal."

1. Resulting in a fault or weakness: "His physical failings are preventing any possibility that he will be a professional."
2. Not doing something successfully; such as, not passing a course or not working properly: "He has had previous failings in this subject."
3. A weak point that makes someone or something less effective: "She has some failings as a writer."

Making certain that something will be successful and not fail: "He was looking for fail-safe tools for the project."

"Of course, he realized that no system is entirely fail-safe."

1. A condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends: "The failure of the experiment was a disappointment to the scientists."
2. The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short: "The crop failure was a major setback for the farmers."
3. A cessation of proper functioning or performance: "After the storm, the entire town experienced an electrical power failure."
4. Nonperformance of what is requested or expected; omission; that is, failure to report a change of address: "Failure to report a change of address can result in problems with mail deliveries."
5. The act or fact of not passing an educational course, test, or assignment: "He didn't get any credit for his home-work assignment because of his failure to follow the teacher's instructions."
6. A decline in strength or effectiveness: "He was crippled by his fear of failure."
7. The act or fact of becoming bankrupt or financially insolvent: "They went bankrupt because of their failure to make the last three payments."

A fear of any event, outcome, or situation that resembles or relates to a lack of success: "People who are suffering from the fear of failure or failure phobia will do everything possible to avoid failure of any kind."

"Failure phobias are generally caused by some influences of unsuccessful efforts that have resulted from prior situations which had occurred in people's lives that may have happened during childhood, marriage, special projects that were not accomplished, a lack of success in occupational endeavors, etc."

Speaking deceitfully or misleading conversation: "She told her husband that she was tired of listening to his fallaciloquence. She wanted him to tell her the truth."

A reference to making statements that are meant to deceive: "The fallaciloquent statements made by the politician resulted in his losing the election."

1. Containing fundamental errors in reasoning: "He presented fallacious reasons for firing the woman."
2. Misleading and deceptive; based on false information or ideas: "The testimony provided by the witness was based on fallacious assumptions."

In a deceptive, or misleading manner; erroneous and illogical: "He fallaciously advocated that the end of the world would come by a specified date."

"The car was fallaciously presented as being in perfect condition, but it couldn't even be driven off the used-car parking area."

Embodying or involving deception and so being misleading or delusive: "The fallaciousness of the prediction had a negative result for many people."