password

American  

[pas-wurd, pahs-] / ˈpæsˌwɜrd, ˈpɑs- /

noun

passwords plural

1. a secret word or expression used by authorized persons to prove their right to access, information, etc.

   Synonyms:

   watchword

2. 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.

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password British  

/ ˈpɑːsˌwɜːd /

noun

1. a secret word, phrase, etc, that ensures admission or acceptance by proving identity, membership, etc

2. an action, quality, etc, that gains admission or acceptance

3. a sequence of characters used to gain access to a computer system

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• passwords
  plural

Etymology

Origin of password

First recorded in 1810–20; pass + word

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

See Examples For:

password passwords

In my family, we have a password to be used to identify ourselves.

From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026

The bot followed through with the request - sending a code to the hacker's email which, when verified, was followed by an email with a link to change their password.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

NordVPN Basic starts at $3.39/month for a 2-year plan, while the Plus plan at $3.89/month adds Threat Protection Pro, NordPass password manager and a data breach scanner.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

That 654321 password you use could spell doom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

I typed in the RBetz user name and typed GLOBETHEATRE1599 in as the password.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

I’d bet cash that the new top reasons for divorce are forgotten passwords and not showing enough sympathy when your spouse is on hold for 83 minutes and counting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

That hasn’t stopped college students cramming for exams together and couples collaborating on work projects from dishing out their passwords.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

VPNs protect sensitive data, such as passwords and financial information, from falling into the wrong hands.

From Salon ● Jun. 10, 2026

Store documents and passwords — including life-insurance policies, bank-account details and mortgage documents — in a safe place.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

I was understandably anxious, because if it turned out I’d been sold bogus data and none of the passwords worked, I would have sold myself into lifelong slavery.

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

Related Words

• identification