Default
The default is the option offered to you, which is the recommended or safe option to choose if you're unsure. In computer operating systems and programs, the default option is chosen if you press Enter without making a selection. The default may also be the toggle selector position if you don't interact with it or data entered automatically in an unedited text box.
The following are examples of defaults you may encounter when using your operating system.
Default location or default folder
The default location or default folder is where a program defaults to first when saving or installing a program. For example, with Microsoft Windows programs, the default location for installing programs is the "Program Files" folder, and the default document location is the "My Documents" folder.
Default settings
With program settings, the default settings are the settings chosen by the software developer, not the user. For example, when opening Microsoft Word, the default font setting is a font size of 11.
Default program
With a program, the default program is what the program opens when opening a certain file type, commonly known as the file association. For example, the file extension .XLS may be defaulted to Microsoft Excel, and when opening the file, it opens in Microsoft Excel. When installing a new program, it is not uncommon for the default program file association to change unless the program gives you the option of not changing the settings.
Default browser
The default browser is the Internet browser the computer has chosen to browse the Internet. For example, with Microsoft Windows, the default browser is Internet Explorer in Windows 8 or earlier and Microsoft Edge in Windows 10. With macOS on Apple computers, the default browser is Safari.
When installing a new browser (e.g., Chrome or Firefox) you'll be given the option to have the new browser be the default browser. If you choose to have it be the default browser, it'll open by default when opening a web page or requiring the Internet.
Default font
The default font is the font used by a program when starting a new document. For example, in Microsoft Word, the default font is Calibri. See our font page for further information and examples of other program's default fonts.
Default button, Default Password, Default printer, Default user, Software terms, Vanilla