username

American  

[yoo-zer-neym] / ˈju zərˌneɪm /

noun

Computers.

• usernames
  plural

1. Also called sign-in name,.  Also called login name,.  Also called sign-on name.  Also called logon name,.  a unique sequence of characters used to identify a user and allow access to a computer system, computer network, or online account.

2. the part of an email address before the @ sign.

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username British  

/ ˈjuːzəˌneɪm /

noun

1. computing a name that someone uses for identification purposes when logging onto a computer, using chatrooms, or as part of his or her e-mail address

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• usernames
  plural

Etymology

Origin of username

First recorded in 1970–75; user ¹ ( def. ) + name ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

username usernames

The internet has long accommodated users who wanted to hide their real name behind a clever username or a throwaway account.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Instead, block the scammer and report the phone number or social-media username to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

Natland was then passed on to a Foxtrot member with the online username Agent 47, which is borrowed from the Hitman game franchise.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

India has asked Meta to hold off launching its username feature on WhatsApp in the world's most populous country, citing concerns over fraud and impersonation, media reports said Thursday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Not a fake identity, not a randomized username, nothing.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

"There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames... and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not," the English-language daily quoted a senior government official as saying.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

The Meta-owned firm described usernames as a privacy feature.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

WhatsApp is set to let people chat without having to reveal their phone number - by exchanging unique usernames instead.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

The plaintiffs’ counsel also tested Snap’s “Quick Add” feature in 2023 and found that many of the usernames “generated by Snap’s recommendation algorithm appeared on their face to belong to predatory users,” the lawsuit said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

I look at her cell, and yes, there are some names I recognize, because they have some ego-driven usernames that they mix in with the instrument they play.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold