Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
by-default
adverb
/baɪ dɪˈfɔːlt/

Definition
A situation or outcome that occurs because of a failure to act or because no other option is presented.

Examples
- He won the race by default because the other competitors did not show up.
- The software settings were left unchanged, so it operated by default.
- She ended up with the promotion by default when her colleague decided to resign.

Meaning
By default refers to a circumstance in which something happens automatically as a result of the absence of a specific choice or action.

Synonyms
- automatically
- unintentionally
- rather
- incidentally