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

Luggage gets lost, passports get misplaced and phones may not work at international destinations when they aren't connected to Wi-Fi. To avoid the headaches and prepare for whatever may come your way (or what accidentally gets left behind), follow these simple tips. —USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024

Police found a Malaysian passport, a Chinese passport and a Brooklyn driver's license at the scene. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024

Complete the online registration before arriving at the La Paz airport and submit it at the immigration counter along with your passport. —Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024

Mizuhara was also ordered to surrender his passport, according to NBC Los Angeles. —Antonio Planas, NBC News, 12 Apr. 2024

To visit Germany for short trips, U.S. citizens only need a U.S. passport that is valid for more than three months beyond the date of their departure. —Sophia Compton, Fox News, 10 Apr. 2024

He was later apprehended by authorities in Montenegro, where he was sentenced to four months in prison for attempting to leave the country on a fake Costa Rican passport. —Joel Khalili, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024

But 79 percent of private flights, like those to LCY in 2023, faced no passport scrutiny whatsoever, according to the supposedly defective records Neal flagged. —Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 11 Apr. 2024

Spain, Portugal, Iceland and Greenland all allow visa-free tourist travel for U.S. passport holders. —Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

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

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