passport

noun

pass·​port ˈpas-ˌpȯrt 

plural passports

1

a

: a formal document issued by an authorized official of a country to one of its citizens that is usually necessary for exit from and reentry into the country, that allows the citizen to travel in a foreign country in accordance with visa requirements, and that requests protection for the citizen while abroad

b

: a license issued by a country permitting a foreign citizen to pass or take goods through its territory : safe-conduct

c

: a document of identification required by law to be carried by persons residing or traveling within a country

2

a

: a permission or authorization to go somewhere

b

: something that secures admission, acceptance, or attainment

education as a passport to success

see also vaccine passport

Synonyms

• gateway
• key
• open sesame
• secret
• ticket

Examples of passport in a Sentence

meeting that movie director could be your passport to a big acting career

to its followers, the cult seemed like their passport to heaven

Recent Examples on the Web

Other identification that will be accepted in lieu of a REAL ID include a valid U.S. passport or passport card; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident cards; and border crossing cards. —Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025

Even today, only 20 percent of West Virginia's citizens have a passport. —Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025

These under-the-radar deals include passport covers, secure belt bags, Apple AirTag holders, and more, from just $18. —Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2025

Transgender people who can’t change the name on their birth certificate or passport would be ineligible to vote, according to the liberal think tank Center for American Progress. —ProPublica, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English (Scots) pasport, from Middle French passeport, from passer to pass + port port, from Latin portus — more at ford

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing passport

• vaccine passport

Rhymes for passport

• abort
• airport
• alport
• athwart
• carport
• comport
• consort
• deport
• distort
• escort
• exhort
• extort

Kids Definition

passport

noun

pass·​port ˈpas-ˌpō(ə)rt 

-ˌpȯ(ə)rt

1

: a government-issued document that serves to identify a citizen and allows him or her to travel to foreign countries

2

: something that allows a person to reach a desired goal

education can be a passport to a successful future