- fail
- The event of a securities purchase or sale transaction not settling as intended by the parties. American Banker Glossary————A deal is said to fail if on the settlement date either the seller does not deliver securities in proper form or the buyer does not to deliver funds in proper form. Bloomberg Financial Dictionary
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fail fail [feɪl] verb1. [intransitive] COMMERCE if a business fails, it is not successful and loses so much money that it has to close:• The company failed amid charges that the chairman had stolen $17 million.
• More than 10,000 companies failed with debts of more than 10 million yen.
— failed adjective [only before a noun] :• the failed Bank of Credit & Commerce International
2. [intransitive] if something you try to do fails, it is not successful:• A move to vote the chairman off the Bell Resources board failed.
fail to do something• A salesman may communicate perfectly well with a customer but fail to make a sale.
— failed adjective [only before a noun] :• The firm collapsed after a failed bid for a rival insurer.
3. [intransitive] if something fails to happen, it does not happen, although you expected or wanted it to:fail to do something• The new projects have failed to gain general acceptance from the board.
• If the recovery fails to cut the deficit sharply, a rise in taxes will be needed.
4. [intransitive] MANUFACTURING if equipment or a machine fails, it stops working because there is a fault• The corn harvest failed after a terrible drought.
• The railway line failed its Board of Trade inspection earlier this year.
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fail UK US /feɪl/ verb► [I] to not succeeed in something you are trying to do: fail to do sth »They failed to reach an agreement with the board members.
fail in sth »Last year the company failed in its bid to renew their contract.
»All their efforts seem to have failed.
»Some employees will not take risks because they're scared of failing.
► [I] if a business fails, it is unsuccessful and cannot continue to operate: »Over 3000 small businesses failed in the first quarter of the year.
»Is it better for the economy to let unsuccessful companies fail or to bail them out?
► [I or T] to not pass an exam or test, or not reach a necessary standard: »About half of all candidates taking the more advanced exams fail.
»The company repeatedly failed inspections by Health and Safety officials.
► [I] if a machine or system fails, it stops working: »If the system fails for any reason, the emergency back-up will kick in.
► [I] FORMAL to not do something that you should do: fail to do sth »What can be done about clients who fail to pay their debts?
Financial and business terms. 2012.
