Default can mean the usual or automatic setting that is used if no choice is made, or the failure to do something that is required, such as paying a debt.
It comes from Old French “defaute,” meaning “fault, lack, failure,” from Vulgar Latin “*fallita,” from “fallere,” “to deceive, fail.” The sense of “standard setting” grew later from the idea of what happens when you don’t actively choose.
Defaults silently shape behavior: most people stick with whatever is pre‑selected. Tech, law, and design all use defaults as a kind of hidden steering wheel for human choices.
In many contexts, the 'default' human has implicitly been treated as male, with women and others marked as deviations from the norm. This shows up in product design, research, and language examples.
When setting defaults, avoid assuming a particular gender as the norm (e.g., default avatars, names, or pronouns). Make defaults neutral or customizable.
["standard","preset","initial setting"]
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