password

noun

pass·​word ˈpas-ˌwərd 

plural passwords

1

: something that enables one to pass or gain admission: such as

a

: a spoken word or phrase required to pass by a guard

b

: a sequence of characters required for access to a computer system or digital device compare passcode

2

: watchword

Synonyms of password

• word

Examples of password in a Sentence

You need to enter your password to check your e-mail.

the password for the all-night rave will be changed next week

Recent Examples on the Web

According to court documents, Worden falsely accused her astronaut ex-wife, Anne McClain, of guessing the password to her bank account and improperly accessing it from the space station while the two were going through a divorce. —Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026

Strong, unique passwords limit the damage from unrelated data breaches. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026

What actions to take Tran urges people not to panic, but to instead think about freezing their credit, putting a fraud alert on their accounts, and changing passwords. —Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026

How to protect yourself from identity theft Unique passwords and two-factor authentication will stymie some hackers, but freezing your credit prevents anyone from applying for new lines of credit in your name. —Brian Sloan, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for password

• absurd
• averred
• bluebird
• byword
• catbird
• catchword
• concurred
• conferred
• cowbird
• cowherd
• crossword
• deferred

Kids Definition

password

noun

pass·​word -ˌwərd 

1

: a word or phrase that must be spoken by a person in order to pass a guard

2

: a secret series of numbers or letters required for access to a computer