password

noun pass·word \ ˈpas-ˌwərd \

Updated on: 23 Dec 2017

Definition of password

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

2 : watchword

See password defined for English-language learners

See password defined for kids

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 of password from the Web

Accounts at GoDaddy, like at any site that requires a user name and password, are often subject to malicious messages known as phishing attacks, which are designed to trick people to reveal that personal information to hackers.

— Washington Post, "AP finds hackers hijacked at least 195 Trump web addresses," 4 Nov. 2017
Identity theft tips To avoid identity theft and fraud: • Use strong passwords for financial accounts.

— frank witsil, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan among states most vulnerable to identity theft, fraud," 19 Oct. 2017
Now, there’s more bad news: Scientists have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to create a program that, combined with existing tools, figured more than a quarter of the passwords from a set of some 43 million LinkedIn profiles.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Semen-dwelling viruses, password-guessing AI, and a trilobite-shaped corn maze," 22 Sep. 2017
Others, meanwhile, could have changed passwords or canceled their accounts to stem losses had Yahoo not delayed disclosing the breaches, the judge said.

— reuters, Fortune, "Yahoo Must Face Litigation By Data Breach Victims," 31 Aug. 2017
Explore the map below to find out the passwords for your go-to airports.

— kelsey kloss, ELLE Decor, "This Map Shows Airport WiFi Passwords Across The World," 30 Sep. 2016
If the victim logged in over an HTTP connection, the attacker could potentially read their username and password.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "Pixel won’t get KRACK fix until December, but is that really a big deal?," 10 Nov. 2017
Often people use the same password for multiple sites, so if it's stolen from one location, multiple other locations become at risk.

— ken sweet, Houston Chronicle, "Applying for a credit card? Please take a selfie," 19 Oct. 2017
Investigators later discovered that the Israeli hackers had implanted multiple back doors into Kaspersky's systems, employing sophisticated tools to steal passwords, take screenshots, and vacuum up emails and documents.

— author: nicole perlroth, scott shane, Alaska Dispatch News, "How Israel caught Russian hackers scouring the world for U.S. secrets," 11 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'password.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of password

1799

password Synonyms

Synonyms

countersign, watchword, word;

Related Words

PASSWORD Defined for English Language Learners

password

noun

Definition of password for English Language Learners

: a secret word or phrase that a person must know before being given permission to enter a place
: a secret series of numbers or letters that allows you to use a computer system

PASSWORD Defined for Kids

password

noun pass·word \ ˈpas-ˌwərd \

Definition of password for Students

: a secret word, phrase, or group of numbers that a person must know to be allowed to enter a place or use a computer system

Learn More about password

See words that rhyme with password Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for password Spanish Central: Translation of password Nglish: Translation of password for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of password for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about password

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password

Definition of password

Examples of password in a Sentence

Recent Examples of password from the Web

First Known Use of password

password Synonyms

Synonyms

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PASSWORD Defined for English Language Learners

password

Definition of password for English Language Learners

PASSWORD Defined for Kids

password

Definition of password for Students

Learn More about password

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Examples of password in a Sentence

Recent Examples of password from the Web

First Known Use of password

password Synonyms

Synonyms

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PASSWORD Defined for English Language Learners

password

Definition of password for English Language Learners

PASSWORD Defined for Kids

password

Definition of password for Students

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