passport

[pas-pawrt, -pohrt, pahs-]

noun

1. 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.

2. anything that ensures admission or acceptance.

   A good education can be your passport to success.

3. any authorization to pass or go somewhere.

4. 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.

5. a certificate intended to secure admission.

passport

/ ˈpɑːspɔːt /

noun

1. 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

2. a licence granted by a state to a foreigner, allowing the passage of his person or goods through the country

3. another word for sea letter

4. a quality, asset, etc, that gains a person admission or acceptance

Other Word Forms

• passportless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of passport¹

First recorded in 1490–1500; earlier passeport from Middle French, equivalent to passe- (stem of passer to pass ) + port port ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of passport¹

C15: from French passeport, from passer to _pass + _port ¹

Example Sentences

A year later those over 21 could apply for a passport.

From BBC

Alexandrovna herself appears in several photos taken with recruits when they first land in Russia; others depict foreign soldiers after they receive their citizenship, smiling to the camera and proudly showing off their passports.

From Los Angeles Times

And eventually there will be a team based overseas where Spanish is heard, visiting teams carry passports and Bad Bunny is no stranger.

From Los Angeles Times

But toward the end, a federal immigration official she had met with said he needed Marques May to follow him so he could photocopy her passport, he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times

“There have been so many new programmes pushing our university students to compete with each other, but in the end, nothing beats a foreign passport,” another Weibo user wrote.

From BBC

Related Words

• authorization 
• key 
• license 
• permit 
• ticket 
• visa 
• warrant