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

In the Colonial Pipeline attack, Russia-based hackers used a compromised password to gain access to the pipeline’s network, causing fuel shortages and panic buying at gasoline stations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Over the next few days and weeks the situation only worsened as the hackers released stolen emails that revealed terrible judgment, confidential scripts and personal information—including my family’s.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said she was unsure what guarantees Discord could give to users about protecting their information against hackers and "other malicious entities".

From BBC

Due to their elevated roles in society, only a handful of North Korea’s hackers or cyber operatives are known to have defected over the decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Intelligence analysts scrutinise millions of data points -- from web addresses and malware variants to hacker code names -- that could provide leads in active investigations.

From Barron's

Related Words

• operator
• technician