hacker

American  

[hak-er] / ˈhæk ər /

noun

hackers plural

1. a person or thing that hacks.

2. Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill.

   weekend hackers on the golf course.

3. Computers.

   1. a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast.

      My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.

   2. a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent.

      A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!

      The company has hired hackers to test system security.

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hacker British  

/ ˈhækə /

noun

1. a person that hacks

2. slang a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hackers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hacker

First recorded in 1200–50 hacker for def. 1; Middle English (as surname); see hack ¹, -er ¹; 1965–70 hacker for def. 2

Explanation

A hacker is a skilled computer programmer who uses her abilities to break into the computer systems of companies or organizations. While most people imagine a hacker as a bad guy who steals credit card information, destroys data, or is otherwise malicious and destructive, some hackers break into systems simply to test their security. There are so many hackers today that they've formed a true community and subculture. The earliest use of hacker is from 1983, from hack as "person hired to do routine work," although MIT students in the 1960's reportedly used the word hack to mean "creative prank."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hacker hackers

Both OpenAI, the hacker, and the victim, Hugging Face, have portrayed the response to this incident as a collaboration.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Commentators and analysts took to their podcasts and social media accounts to guess which cyber crime group or nation state hacker might be behind it.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

A hacker could exploit that window by using the temporary buying power to trade securities or purchase cryptocurrency before the transfer fails.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

It’s funny because one of my favorite movies, as every good hacker ‘80s kid would tell you, is “WarGames.”

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

I asked Violet, “Your father, he’s a college professor, but he was too busy to come see you after you like completely collapsed from a hacker attack? Too busy?”

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson

Still, the attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, as AI lowers the cost and time needed for hackers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Her lawyers said she was initiating legal action to uncover the identity of the hackers.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The singer accused the hackers of violating the "sacred relationship that exists between her and her fans" and is suing for invasion of privacy, violation of California computer hacking laws, and conversion.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

In fact—and here is the chilling part—they didn’t act much like human hackers at all.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Unlike the hackers in movies who always scurried about in the shadows, Charlotte liked to engage people in conversation.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• operator
• technician