password
Americannoun
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a secret word or expression used by authorized persons to prove their right to access, information, etc.
- Synonyms:
- watchword
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a word or other string of characters, sometimes kept secret or confidential, that must be supplied by a user in order to gain full or partial access to a computer, computer system, or electronic device.
noun
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a secret word, phrase, etc, that ensures admission or acceptance by proving identity, membership, etc
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an action, quality, etc, that gains admission or acceptance
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a sequence of characters used to gain access to a computer system
Etymology
Origin of password
Explanation
A password is a word — or a series of letters or numbers — that's kept secret. You might need a password to get into your brother's clubhouse or to use your friend's laptop. During World War II, soldiers used passwords to enter guarded areas; these were words or phrases (and responses) that only other Allied soldiers knew. Today, you're more likely to use a password for protecting an electronic device, for withdrawing money from a bank machine, or for logging into your email or social media account. The original meaning of password, from the late 1700s, was "word used to distinguish friend from foe."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nisarga Adhikary, who describes himself as an "ethical hacker", told the BBC he was able to crack the master password for the system, gaining access to student records, answer sheets and evaluators' accounts.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
If you shared your password, change it immediately.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
The files were not secured by a password, according to sources who spoke previously with The Times and requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
A password manager will help you create and save long, unique—in fact, gibberish—passwords.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
Imogene told him it didn’t make any difference because the password that day was softball.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
