hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈha-kər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
1
: one that hacks
2
: a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity
a tennis hacker
3
: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
4
: a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

Examples of hacker in a Sentence

My friends and I have been playing golf for years, but we're still just a bunch of hackers. the company's security experts spent days trying to figure out how a hacker could have gotten past the firewall
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And last month, hackers knocked out a passenger check-in system, causing long delays, cancellations and chaos at airports across Europe. Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025 According to court filings, the attack occurred between May 13 and June 17, 2024, with hackers accessing names, Social Security numbers, financial accounts, driver's license numbers, health insurance data and other sensitive information. Brian Sloan, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025 This means hackers, ISPs, and even public Wi-Fi snoopers cannot intercept or track your online movements. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 The Oscar-winning actor, 44, starred in the USA Network series as troubled computer hacker Elliot Alderson for four seasons from 2015 to 2019. Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hacker

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hacker was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Hacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

hacker

noun
hack·​er ˈhak-ər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
1
: one that hacks
2
: a person who is unskilled at a particular activity
3
: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
4
: a person who illegally gains access to a computer system

More from Merriam-Webster on hacker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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