hacker

American  

[hak-er] / ˈhæk ər /

noun

• hackers
  plural

1. a person or thing that hacks.

2. Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill.

   weekend hackers on the golf course.

3. Computers.

   1. a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast.

      My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.

   2. a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent.

      A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!

      The company has hired hackers to test system security.

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hacker British  

/ ˈhækə /

noun

1. a person that hacks

2. slang a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hackers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hacker

First recorded in 1200–50 hacker for def. 1; Middle English (as surname); see hack ¹, -er ¹; 1965–70 hacker for def. 2

Explanation

A hacker is a skilled computer programmer who uses her abilities to break into the computer systems of companies or organizations. While most people imagine a hacker as a bad guy who steals credit card information, destroys data, or is otherwise malicious and destructive, some hackers break into systems simply to test their security. There are so many hackers today that they've formed a true community and subculture. The earliest use of hacker is from 1983, from hack as "person hired to do routine work," although MIT students in the 1960's reportedly used the word hack to mean "creative prank."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hacker hackers

That said, one hacker can wreak no small amount of havoc, as one compromised water system might serve tens of thousands of people.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

Both OpenAI, the hacker, and the victim, Hugging Face, have portrayed the response to this incident as a collaboration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Commentators and analysts took to their podcasts and social media accounts to guess which cyber crime group or nation state hacker might be behind it.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Hacking It: As AI disrupts traditional career paths, these college students are skipping corporate internships for San Francisco hacker houses and incubators this summer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026

Only Loga hadn’t been touched by the hacker.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

DEF CON Franklin matched volunteer white-hat hackers with small water utilities across the country, helping them patch holes and advising them on basic security hygiene.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026

The Department of Justice said the hackers were part of an alleged "sweeping, state-sponsored" effort to steal data.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Taiwan has previously blamed Chinese hackers for carrying out most of the millions of cyberattacks affecting the island democracy on a daily basis, but did not identify a particular country in this latest incident.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Plus: U.K. drones sent signals to China, what Gunra ransomware hackers want.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

“But Alice camped near those hackers and the librarian saw them going up Tenmile Creek a little while ago. I’m going back to find her.”

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Related Words

• operator
• technician