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

Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication for tax software, and be cautious when choosing your tax preparer—always verify credentials. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Turn on two-factor authentication Enable any extra security measures a payment app allows. —Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026

Even if attackers steal your password, two-factor authentication (2FA) can stop them from accessing your account. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026

The findings revealed a critical engineering failure: 82 percent understood security concepts like two-factor authentication and encryption, yet only 14 percent felt confident managing their privacy when using these devices. —Suleiman Saka, IEEE Spectrum, 8 Dec. 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