password

American  

[pas-wurd, pahs-] / ˈpæsˌwɜrd, ˈpɑs- /

noun

• passwords
  plural

1. a secret word or expression used by authorized persons to prove their right to access, information, etc.

   Synonyms:

   watchword

2. a word or other string of characters, sometimes kept secret or confidential, that must be supplied by a user in order to gain full or partial access to a computer, computer system, or electronic device.

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password British  

/ ˈpɑːsˌwɜːd /

noun

1. a secret word, phrase, etc, that ensures admission or acceptance by proving identity, membership, etc

2. an action, quality, etc, that gains admission or acceptance

3. a sequence of characters used to gain access to a computer system

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• passwords
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of password

First recorded in 1810–20; pass + word

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Explanation

A password is a word — or a series of letters or numbers — that's kept secret. You might need a password to get into your brother's clubhouse or to use your friend's laptop. During World War II, soldiers used passwords to enter guarded areas; these were words or phrases (and responses) that only other Allied soldiers knew. Today, you're more likely to use a password for protecting an electronic device, for withdrawing money from a bank machine, or for logging into your email or social media account. The original meaning of password, from the late 1700s, was "word used to distinguish friend from foe."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

password passwords

And that’s no small task if they can’t remember which login method they used, much less their username and password.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 12, 2026

Potentially compounding the problem: The default administrator password for the Danfoss controller is set to “12345,” according to documentation on the manufacturer’s website.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

It first provided the information on a thumb drive with the password on a Post-it note.

From Slate ● Oct. 23, 2026

A data breach could affect customers in the future if their personal information is used in so-called "phishing" attacks, where someone is tricked into revealing their password to an online service.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

Harry shouted the password at the gargoyle and ran up the moving spiral staircase three steps at a time.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

OTW says it does not believe the user database, which holds usernames, email addresses and encrypted passwords, was stolen, but cannot rule it out.

From Barron's ● Nov. 7, 2026

“Do not provide Social Security numbers, passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal information in response to unsolicited requests.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

Weak passwords, outdated software and poor Wi-Fi security can let strangers access your home camera.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Residential security camera systems often come with default passwords or security codes that are easily found online.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026

I didn’t test the IOI passwords until the second night of my indenturement.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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Related Words

• identification

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