white hat
Americannoun
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a virtuous hero, especially in a cowboy movie; good guy.
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Also called white hat hacker. Computers. a hacker who violates the security of a system with the knowledge and consent of the owner or developer in order to test the code, without malicious intent.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of white hat
First recorded in 1960–65 white hat for def. 1, and in 1990–95 white hat for def. 2; from the white hat often worn by the virtuous hero in a cowboy movie
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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.
Ms Musvava, dressed in a bright orange winter jumper and a white hat, appeared despondent.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2025
Wearing a gray Mater Dei T-shirt and white hat, Raul Lara is reminded constantly how strange he looks in Monarchs football gear by his acquaintances from his Long Beach Poly coaching days.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2024
Not far away, Jackie Garlock, of nearby Clear Lake, was wearing a white hat indicating her status as one of Trump’s “caucus captains.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2024
Mollie is telling Ernest that she sees him as a good guy, even if the movie has already violently upended the familiar dualism of the white hat vs. black.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2024
At the start of the performance Cody entered the ring on horseback, his long gray hair streaming from under his white hat, the silver trim of his white jacket glinting in the sun.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
