two-factor authentication

noun

two-fac·​tor authentication ˈtü-ˈfak-tər- 

: a method of verifying the identity of a person (as for granting access to a system) by requiring a password and an additional form of authorization (such as a code, a fingerprint, or a smartphone app)

—abbreviation 2FA compare multi-factor authentication

Examples of two-factor authentication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even if your login credentials are compromised, two-factor authentication (2FA) can stop attackers from getting in. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Nov. 2025

The sale will require two-factor authentication with fans verifying both their email address and phone number to gain access using a unique code. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025

But in a disturbing find, security researchers have discovered an innovative way to leak data from these apps on Android phones, paving the way to steal the two-factor authentication codes (2FA). —PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2025

Google reinforced the importance of applying safeguards such as passkeys, two-factor authentication, and vigilance against phishing attempts. —Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for two-factor authentication

• deindustrialization
• immunoprecipitation
• individualisation
• individualization
• institutionalisation
• institutionalization
• internationalization
• neovascularization
• operationalization
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration