DEFAULT

failure to discharge a duty. The term is often used in the context of mortgages to describe failure of the mortgagor to pay installments when due, and in the context of judicial proceedings to describe failure of one of the parties to take procedural steps to prevent entry of a judgment against him (called a default judgment).

See delict. Source: Barron's Dictionary of Legal Terms, Steven H. Gifis, 5th Edition; © 2016