password

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of password

First recorded in 1810–20; pass + word

Example Sentences

On Thursday, schools received a message that as part of "work to manage an IT security issue" the EA would be carrying out a password reset for all users.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

According to Stratton, Lam, posing as a Google representative, called the investor and convinced the man to give up his password and security codes to prevent what Lam described as a hacking attempt.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

In some cases, claws can even be tricked into giving away a user’s password or credit card details, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Make sure both parties know how to find the key, where the nearest grocery store is, instructions for appliances and the password for the wifi before the swap.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

Maybe twenty minutes later I jumped the password wall.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Related Words

• identification