passport
Americannoun
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an official document issued by the government of a country to one of its citizens and, varying from country to country, authorizing travel to foreign countries and authenticating the bearer's identity, citizenship, right to protection while abroad, and right to reenter their native country.
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anything that ensures admission or acceptance.
A good education can be your passport to success.
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any authorization to pass or go somewhere.
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a document issued to a ship, especially to a neutral merchant ship in time of war, granting or requesting permission to proceed without molestation in certain waters.
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a certificate intended to secure admission.
noun
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an official document issued by a government, identifying an individual, granting him permission to travel abroad, and requesting the protection of other governments for him
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a licence granted by a state to a foreigner, allowing the passage of his person or goods through the country
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another word for sea letter
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a quality, asset, etc, that gains a person admission or acceptance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of passport
First recorded in 1490–1500; earlier passeport from Middle French, equivalent to passe- (stem of passer to pass ) + port port 1
Explanation
A passport is a government-issued document you need to travel between countries. Americans must have a passport to travel out of the U.S., even if they're just going to Canada for the weekend. A passport is a small book that includes the name, nationality, and photograph of the person it belongs to. Its many pages are stamped each time you enter a new country. When you apply for a passport, you have to prove your identity and nationality, and have your picture taken. Colloquially, passport also means something that helps you get where you want to go: "This amusement part ticket is your passport to fun!"
Vocabulary lists containing passport
Greetings, World Traveler! — List 1
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Travel
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for April 9–April 15, 2022
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I moved to Malta last December on an EU passport my mother left me.
From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026
My passport has never left my side since last summer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
He was sent to Equatorial Guinea in January without a passport and is being held at a hotel he is barred from leaving.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
The next day Agent 47 made a flight booking, the jury was told, however it became clear that Natland's passport had expired.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
He didn’t need to; he’d already gotten a passport for Dallas.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
