code word
Americannoun
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a euphemistic or politically acceptable catchword or phrase used instead of a blunter or less acceptable term.
The official report said the diplomats had a “frank and serious discussion”—code words for “angry argument.”
Etymology
Origin of code word
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
In the age of deepfakes, every family needs a code word, writes Julie Jargon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025
Only share the code word with close and trusted family members, and do it in person or over the phone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025
North wants to remind parents and teachers that every generation has their secret code word.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2025
A “clean CR”—a little code word they use for these kinds of bills—is one sentence.
From Slate • Mar. 18, 2025
“Hey, maybe she really is Chip’s birth mother. Or—or mine. Maybe that’s what witnesses really meant. Like, it’s a code word or something.”
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
