Refers to the state or result of losing, especially in a contest, battle, or competition. Often used in formal or literary contexts.
彼は選挙の敗れを潔く認めた。
He gracefully accepted his defeat in the election.
敗れを知らないチームがついに負けた。
The team that had never known defeat finally lost.
Derived from the verb 敗れる (やぶれる, 'to be defeated'), functioning as the continuative form (連用形) used as a noun.