hacker

American  

[hak-er] / ˈhæk ər /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of hacker

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

Example Sentences

U.S. counterterrorism authorities have long watched the cyber threat from Iranian-backed hackers.

From Los Angeles Times

The hackers downloaded a database containing customer information - and by seeing a copy of the file BBC News has established the scale of the hack.

From BBC

Welcome to the age of AI hacking, in which the right prompts make amateurs into master hackers.

From Los Angeles Times

E2EE has been hailed by privacy experts as the best way to protect conversations from hackers, corporations and even repressive authorities trying to snoop on users.

From BBC

AI is seen as both enhancing security and creating new vulnerabilities, with hackers also leveraging AI tools.

From Barron's

Related Words

• operator
• technician