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

These included two-factor authentication notifications that claimed someone was trying to access his iCloud account. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Dec. 2025

Devices must also be running iOS 16.1 or newer and have Face ID, Touch ID, and two-factor authentication enabled. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 13 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

Links to accounts Yes, bank accounts and credit cards Availability Available for both iOS and Android Security features Data encryption and fraud detection technology; unique, one-time login codes, two-factor authentication Terms apply. —Kat Boogaard, CNBC, 28 Oct. 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