log in

British  

verb

1. Also: log on.  to enter (an identification number, password, etc) from a remote terminal to gain access to a multiaccess system

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noun

1. Also: login.  the process by which a computer user logs in

log in Idioms  

1. Also, log on. Enter into a computer the information needed to begin a session, as in I logged in at two o'clock, or There's no record of your logging on today. These expressions refer especially to large systems shared by numerous individuals, who need to enter a username or password before executing a program. The antonyms are log off and log out, meaning “to end a computer session.” All these expressions derive from the use of log in the nautical sense of entering information about a ship in a journal called a log book. [c. 1960]

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Example Sentences

To pressure victims into giving up their account information, they tell them they need to log in immediately before their points expire to claim such things as free headphones or Apple Watches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Account holders need to log in and check the calendar of offerings on the IPO page under the Trade tab on Schwab’s website External link.

From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026

I log in to GI, a deck called “How Boundaries Build Safety.”

From Slate • May 10, 2026

But that has resulted in all schools and pupils being logged out of their accounts, and it means that pupils cannot log in to get work or resources provided by their teachers.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Nathan opened a game on his phone, but it wouldn’t start because he needed the internet to log in.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• load