alphanumeric

[ al-fuh-noo-mer-ik, -nyoo- ]

/ ˌæl fə nuˈmɛr ɪk, -nyu- /

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adjective Computers.

(of a set of characters) including letters, numbers, and, often, special characters, as punctuation marks: alphanumeric code.

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Also al·pha·mer·ic

[al-fuh-mer-ik], /ˌæl fəˈmɛr ɪk/, al·pha·nu·mer·i·cal, al·pha·mer·i·cal.

Origin of alphanumeric

First recorded in 1950–55; alpha(bet) + numeric(al)

OTHER WORDS FROM alphanumeric

al·pha·nu·mer·i·cal·ly, al·pha·mer·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby alphanumeric

alpha iron, alpha-ketoglutaric acid, alpha-linolenic acid, alpha male, alpha-naphthylthiourea, alphanumeric, alpha particle, alpha privative, alpha radiation, alpha ray, alpha receptor

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alphanumeric in a sentence

Password managers like Dashlane and 1Password can track all those various alphanumerics for you and even replace the weak ones.
The end of passwords|Mat Honan|February 23, 2022|MIT Technology Review
Within these volumes, tens of thousands of individuals were classified as trustworthy or disreputable according to alphanumeric codes.
Modern capitalism is inseparable from surveillance|Josh Lauer, Kenneth Lipartito|September 22, 2021|Washington Post
For each digital image, the algorithm makes measurements between the eyes, the tip of the nose and other strategic points within the facial structure and counts the pixels between them in order to assign the alphanumeric value to the image.
San Diego Held Back Materials Sought by Congress on Facial Recognition|Jesse Marx|May 3, 2021|Voice of San Diego
A plus code is a simple alphanumeric combination derived from latitudes and longitudes.
Slum dwellers in India get unique digital addresses|Shoma Abhyankar|April 28, 2021|MIT Technology Review

In 1959, he and a colleague invented a machine to recognize alphanumeric characters, then went on to facial recognition.
The Bias in the Machine - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Sidney Perkowitz|August 19, 2020|Nautilus
It can operate in either the alphanumeric mode or the binary mode.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3)|Digital Equipment Corporation
The standard PDP alphanumeric paper tape code includes an odd parity bit which may be checked by the program.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3)|Digital Equipment Corporation
This sets a write binary or a write alphanumeric into the TC and-29- selects the unit.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3)|Digital Equipment Corporation
Communication is done completely via the typewriter in either octal numbers, decimal numbers, or alphanumeric codes.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3)|Digital Equipment Corporation

British Dictionary definitions for alphanumeric

alphanumeric

alphameric (ˌælfəˈmɛrɪk)

/ (ˌælfənjuːˈmɛrɪk) /

adjective

(of a character set, code, or file of data) consisting of alphabetical and numerical symbols

Derived forms of alphanumeric

alphanumerically or alphamerically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012