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

Google’s Chrome browser has added a new feature that could go a long way in preventing a form of account takeover that’s grown increasingly common as users adopt two-factor authentication, passkeys, and similar protections. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026

Apple representatives will not ask for your password, device passcode or two-factor authentication code. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Noah Segan’s feature directorial debut is an unapologetic love letter to the city, starring John Turturro as an aging thief whose old-school tactics become less effective in an age of two-factor authentication. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 6 Aug. 2026

Users should also clear their browser cache, review browser extensions, change important passwords from a different trusted device and enable two-factor authentication. — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

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