login

American  

[lawg-in, log-, lawg-in, log-] / ˈlɔgˌɪn, ˈlɒg-, ˌlɔgˈɪn, ˌlɒg- /

noun

1. the act of logging in to a database, mobile device, or computer, especially a multiuser computer or a remote or networked computer system.

   The program records the time of each login.

2. a username and password that allows a person to log in to a computer system, network, mobile device, or user account.

   I’ve forgotten my login again!

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verb (used without object)

1. log in.

   Login with your new password.

Usage

Many who are neither professionals in the computer field nor amateur tech enthusiasts condemn the use of the solid form login as a verb, and with good reason. It doesn’t behave like a normal verb. You cannot say you have loginned, and you are never in the process of loginning. Moreover, you cannot even ask someone to login you; you must ask that person to log you in. Clearly, it is the two-word phrase log in that functions fully as an English verb, not the solid form. Normally, we would expect the verb phrase log in and the noun login to behave in the same way as similar pairs: blow out/blowout, crack down/crackdown, hang up/hangup, splash down/splashdown, turn off/turnoff, where the two-word phrase is a verb and the one-word form is a noun. And yet, this gluing together of terms like login, logon, backup, and setup as verbs is common, especially in writing about computers. Not for everyone, though; some well-known software companies, for example, carefully maintain the distinction in their programs and documentation. The wisest course is to find out what the standard is among those for whom you’re writing, and follow it.

Etymology

Origin of login

First recorded in 1965–70

Compare meaning

How does login compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sign-in vs. login

Example Sentences

By evening, the student said the login process was updated to redirect users to a page that said Canvas was “undergoing scheduled maintenance.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

The Stryker incident saw the company's employee login defaced with a message claiming data had been erased in a 'wiper' attack by the Iran-backed group of hacktivists.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Both versions are easy to use, featuring a one-click connect button for instant protection and a QR code login option for mobile devices.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

This is what will take up the bulk of your time, because people invariably forget things like the login and password to their mortgage servicer’s website that they access once a year for their statements.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

“I need you to use Radar’s login to the student directory and look up an address. Chuck Parson.”

From "Paper Towns" by John Green