hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈha-kər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
Synonyms of hackernext
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.
Created by Eden, Moshe Zonder and Maor Kohn, written by Tony Saint and Simon Allen, and directed by Daniel Syrkin, the series stars Niv Sultan as a Mossad hacker-agent who infiltrates Tehran under a false identity, Shaun Toub, and Shila Ommi. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026 Cybersecurity researchers warn that hackers are using Hugging Face, a popular platform for sharing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, to spread dangerous Android malware. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026 Dozens of photos included in the documents released Wednesday are military handbooks, field guides and cultural texts, some dating back to the early 2000s that appeared to belong to Gingles, as well as numerous books from the SANS Institute detailing computer hacker tools. Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026 Their investigation showed that the hacker gained access on June 13, nearly a month prior to their knowledge. Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

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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