password

[ pas-wurd, pahs- ]

noun

1. a secret word or expression used by authorized persons to prove their right to access, information, etc.

   Synonyms: watchword

2. a word or other string of characters, sometimes kept secret or confidential, that must be supplied by a user in order to gain full or partial access to a computer, computer system, or electronic device.

password

/ ˈpɑːsˌwɜːd /

noun

1. a secret word, phrase, etc, that ensures admission or acceptance by proving identity, membership, etc
2. an action, quality, etc, that gains admission or acceptance
3. a sequence of characters used to gain access to a computer system

Word History and Origins

Origin of password¹

First recorded in 1810–20; pass none + word none

Example Sentences

"You’ve got to have a password and it’s got to be 12 letters and it’s got to have an exclamation mark," complains the 70-year-old.

From BBC

The research found that such imbalance can lead to everyday action slips such as inadvertently entering an old password instead of the current one.

From Science Daily

An engineer's password problem hampered efforts to resolve Bank Holiday airport chaos caused by a flight data fault, a report has said.

From BBC

The very nature of crypto means that recovery is not as easy as resetting your password.

From BBC

The post Mr Musk re-shared referred to an employee error exposing passwords for some election equipment.

From BBC

Related Words

• identification