Is "default" used for "a value used when nothing has been explicitly set" outside of IT world?

In a discussion at another question, rajah9 mentioned that default is used to mean to fail to repay a loan, but that in the computer world we now use it to mean a value used when no value has been explicitly set.

Somewhat closer to the IT meaning, default can also mean to lose a game or a lawsuit by failing to show up, as in lose the baseball game by default. At least, I can see a similarity between this is what you get if you don't say what you want and this is what you get if you don't show up.

Is there any context outside of IT field where default is used to mean what you get if you didn't say what you want?

Particularly, is there such a usage before IT people started using the word in this sense?

Solution 1:

The complete list of meanings in various contexts, fields and subjects is given in TheFreeDictionary online.

The list mentions the particular sense exclusively in Electronics & Computer Science:

4. a. Computer Science A particular setting or value for a variable that is assigned automatically by an operating system and remains in effect unless canceled or overridden by the operator: changed the default for the font in the word processing program.(_{quoting The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition).}

and

6 (Electronics & Computer Science / Computer Science (also)) Computing
a. the preset selection of an option offered by a system, which will always be followed except when explicitly altered
b. (as modifier) default setting
(_{quoting from the Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged} ©)

That said, it seems the closest one can come to compare the IT parlance and general English usage could be:

3 The failure of one or more competitors or teams to participate in a contest: won the championship by default. [emphasis mine] (AmerHeritageDict)

Solution 2:

As can be seen from this chart, default option/choice have certainly become far more common usages since the computer context became widespread...

But even a single earlier example (such as this from 1942)...

The Act makes a direct rollover the default option for involuntary distributions that exceed $1,000

...should be enough to show that such usages do in fact predate the computer context.