key card

noun

plural key cards
: a small usually plastic card that contains encoded data to electronically open or access something (such as a door or a system)
Hotel room doors are often accessed by a key card programmed by the front desk.Kara Godfrey
Morrill Hall has an open lobby but requires key cards to enter elevators to get to dorm rooms.The Associated Press State & Local Wire
… a plan to buy a $1 million key card voting system …Hillary Chabot

Examples of key card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Residents will activate them with key cards that give access only to their own floor and common areas. Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024 Teddy’s key card doesn’t work, thanks to her recent firing, but that doesn’t stop her from jumping into a gown to help Theo Ruiz. Lincee Ray, EW.com, 31 May 2024 Treat yourself to this throwback keychain that takes its inspiration from pre-1970s (when key cards were invented) hotel keys. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 26 May 2024 In the middle of the touch screen is a card icon that indicates where to place the NFC key card. PCMAG, 10 May 2024 The touch-screen number pad was well-illuminated and very responsive, and the fingerprint scanner and NFC key cards worked correctly. PCMAG, 10 May 2024 The company later worked with Boeing to create a tool to replace hotel key cards. Diane Brady, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024 The hotel worker was discovered due to using a traceable key card to enter her room, and was arrested, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024 Accessing the vault requires both entering a code and producing a key card. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'key card.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of key card was in 1966

Dictionary Entries Near key card

Cite this Entry

“Key card.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/key%20card. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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