passport

American  

[pas-pawrt, -pohrt, pahs-] / ˈpæs pɔrt, -poʊrt, ˈpɑs- /

noun

passports plural

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.

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passport British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• passportless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• passports
  plural

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!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passport passports

Barry, from Bracknell, said passport control had taken 45-50 minutes because some machines weren't working.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

He became a U.S. citizen in 2011 and was traveling with his U.S. passport, his supporters say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

In 1985, a group of five neighboring European countries dropped passport requirements to form the Schengen Area.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Rojas’ wife, Mariana, and their two children were in Venezuela, planning to renew Mariana’s passport and seek Venezuelan citizenship for their children, when the earthquakes hit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

He was picked up by a limousine supplied by the Icelandic embassy, given his new Icelandic passport, and he and Miyoko, hand in hand, sped to Narita Airport.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

In order to comply with La Liga’s strict limits on fielding players from outside the European Union, club president Joan Laporta had worked to secure Spanish passports for both Leo and his father, Jorge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

His image is due to appear on some US passports and already appears on passes to National Parks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

Before the World Cup began, 1,958 football supporters subject to football banning orders were required to surrender their passports to stop them heading to the World Cup.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

In 1976, The Times described the center as a place to prepare for an overseas trip where visitors could get passports and visas, as well as exchange dollars for francs, marks, rubles and other currency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

At Irun we had to change trains and show passports.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Related Words

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