passkey

noun

pass·​key ˈpas-ˌkē 

plural passkeys

1

: a key that provides special access (as to a secure area)

… left his swipe-card passkey behind when he stepped outside the tower's secure door and was unable to get back in …

—UPI.com

: such as

a

: a key designed to open any of a set of similar locks : master key

b

: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key : skeleton key

2

: an authentication method that uses biometrics (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) to identify and grant access to an authorized user

You'll have one passkey per login, and passkeys will sync across all of your devices …

—Juli Clover

Instead of a vulnerable password, passkeys work by using your biometric data as your login 'fingerprint.' For example, you could use the Touch ID button on a Mac or a facial recognition scanner on your smartphone to log in to your account. No typing required.

—digitaltrends.com

Examples of passkey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In December, French journalist Nicolas Lellouche warned about the gap in Sony's customer support after losing access to his PSN account, despite having 2FA and a passkey in place. —Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 4 Mar. 2026

Google also supports passkeys and two-factor verification to lock down account access. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Feb. 2026

Importantly, the passkey is not tied to the lost device, and can be recovered to another by signing into the passkey provider. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 28 Feb. 2026

According to Forbes, Amazon also boasts passkeys to protect accounts, and more than 300 million of its customers have now upgraded their security to stay safe. —Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for passkey

• ascii

Kids Definition

passkey

noun

pass·​key ˈpas-ˌkē 

1

: a key for opening two or more locks

2

: skeleton key