WordNet
n. a judgment entered in favor of the plaintiff when the defendant defaults (fails to appear in court) [syn: default judgement, judgment by default, judgement by default]
Wikipedia
Default judgment is a binding judgment in favor of either party based on some failure to take action by the other party. Most often, it is a judgment in favor of a plaintiff when the defendant has not responded to a summons or has failed to appear before a court of law. The failure to take action is the default. The default judgment is the relief requested in the party's original petition.
Default can be compared to a forfeit victory in sports. In a civil trial involving damages, a default judgment will enter the amount of damages pleaded in the original complaint. If proof of damages is required, the court may schedule another hearing on that issue. A party can have a default judgment vacated, or set aside, by filing a motion, after the judgment is entered, by showing of a proper excuse.
Usage examples of "default judgment".
He never came in, never signed the adjudication papers, and so we made a default judgment of no water rights.