passport

noun

pass·​port ˈpas-ˌpȯrt 

plural passports

1

a

: a formal document issued by an authorized official of a country to one of its citizens that is usually necessary for exit from and reentry into the country, that allows the citizen to travel in a foreign country in accordance with visa requirements, and that requests protection for the citizen while abroad

b

: a license issued by a country permitting a foreign citizen to pass or take goods through its territory : safe-conduct

c

: a document of identification required by law to be carried by persons residing or traveling within a country

2

a

: a permission or authorization to go somewhere

b

: something that secures admission, acceptance, or attainment

education as a passport to success

see also vaccine passport

Synonyms

• gateway
• key
• open sesame
• secret
• ticket

Examples of passport in a Sentence

meeting that movie director could be your passport to a big acting career

to its followers, the cult seemed like their passport to heaven

Recent Examples on the Web

The Entry and Exit System, the new biometric passport system, originally due in November 2024, is now expected in October 2025. —Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

This documentary was made for all of us — regardless of passport, accent, skin tone, hair type or vocabulary. —Christian Arias, Baltimore Sun, 12 May 2025

Pinder said that officers took her phone and passport and asked detailed questions about her future travel plans. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

Prosecutors then requested that the court order Scholtes to surrender his passport before making the nearly 3,000-mile trip to Hawaii, but Ortiz denied that motion, court records show. KOLD first reported on the court approving Scholtes' request to travel with his family to Hawaii. —Chris Spargo, People.com, 12 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots) pasport, from Middle French passeport, from passer to pass + port port, from Latin portus — more at ford

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing passport

• vaccine passport

Rhymes for passport

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• distort
• escort
• exhort
• extort

Kids Definition

passport

noun

pass·​port ˈpas-ˌpō(ə)rt 

-ˌpȯ(ə)rt

1

: a government-issued document that serves to identify a citizen and allows him or her to travel to foreign countries

2

: something that allows a person to reach a desired goal

education can be a passport to a successful future