login

American  

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

noun

• logins
  plural

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!

---

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• logins
  plural

---

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

See Examples For:

login logins

“A stolen login credential should not become a months-long passport to millions of students’ personal records,” said Anton Dahbura, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026

"We do not believe it is necessary to change your account login information at this time," it added.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

You can enter various login credentials in a vault in the app, and you can pay for things via Link, an A.I.-forward payment platform.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Users are barred from sharing their login credentials and are responsible for all activity tied to their account, as outlined in the company’s terms of service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

When the login prompt reappeared, I typed in LEUCOSIA.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

In order for an agent to take actions on a user’s behalf, it needs access to sensitive personal data such as email accounts, payment credentials and third-party logins.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026

Premium accounts for ChatGPT and Claude can get pricey, but you should think twice before pooling your logins.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Many demand full access to account logins and impose fines on creators who try to leave contracts early.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Other issues were reported as well, related to logins, comments, and other features.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026

This is to sertifie your Honner, as how I am heer at Hamestet, where I have found out my lady to be in logins at one Mrs. Moore's, near upon Hamestet-Hethe.

From Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 5 by Samuel Richardson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---