alphanumeric
adjective
al·pha·nu·mer·ic
ˌal-fə-nu̇-ˈmer-ik 
-nyu̇-
variants
or less commonly alphanumerical
1
: consisting of both letters and numbers and often other symbols (such as punctuation marks and mathematical symbols)
an alphanumeric code
also
: being a character in an alphanumeric system
2
: capable of using or displaying alphanumeric characters
Did you know?
Alphanumeric passwords are much harder for a hacker to crack than plain alphabetic passwords, since the number of possible combinations is so much greater. License plates usually contain both letters and numbers, since, for a big state or country, the plate wouldn't be large enough to fit enough numbers for everyone. In computing, the standard alphanumeric codes, such as ASCII, may contain not only ordinary letters and numerals but also punctuation marks and math symbols.
Examples of alphanumeric in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Priority handles refer to usernames comprising full names, multi-word phrases, or alphanumeric combinations.
—
PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
This groundbreaking system revolutionized data processing, allowing users to store, access and manage 5 million alphanumeric characters with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in February that personalized license plates, with their customizable alphanumeric combinations, are considered government speech, not private speech, and are therefore not subject to the protections of the First Amendment.
—Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
On some Corsair keyboards, these programmable keys are part of the standard alphanumeric keys, while on others, there are dedicated keys for them.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alphanumeric
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PC Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
This groundbreaking system revolutionized data processing, allowing users to store, access and manage 5 million alphanumeric characters with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in February that personalized license plates, with their customizable alphanumeric combinations, are considered government speech, not private speech, and are therefore not subject to the protections of the First Amendment.
—Angele Latham, The Tennessean, 3 Sep. 2025
On some Corsair keyboards, these programmable keys are part of the standard alphanumeric keys, while on others, there are dedicated keys for them.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alphanumeric
Cite this Entry
“Alphanumeric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alphanumeric. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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