password
Americannoun
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passwords
plural
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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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The letter arrived with a thumb drive purporting to contain the list of voters in question, and a handwritten note providing the password.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
They can also be misconfigurations -- for instance, if someone has used the same password for multiple services, or hasn't configured a database properly.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Change passwords: It's worth updating your password, including across other sites that use the same one as your Asos account.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Meta doesn’t generally require two-factor authentication on its accounts, so it’s up to you to turn that on—and come up with a strong unique password.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Smith had them all on a password system, and anyone who came near was aggressively questioned.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
“Do not provide Social Security numbers, passwords, financial information, or other sensitive personal information in response to unsolicited requests.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
School opened on schedule on Tuesday, but students, families and staff had to reset more than 600,000 passwords.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Intelligence agencies scour the internet for vulnerable cameras and robotically tap in to them by testing millions of passwords.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
In its email to customers, Asos confirmed data profiles were taken but said no bank details or passwords were accessed.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
