hacker

[ hak-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that hacks.
2. Slang. a person who engages in an activity without talent or skill:

   weekend hackers on the golf course.

3. Computers.
   1. a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming; a computer expert or enthusiast:

      My brother is a real hacker—he fixed my laptop in no time.

   2. a person who circumvents security and breaks into a network, computer, file, etc., often, but not always, with malicious intent: Compare black hat ( def 2 ), gray hat, white hat ( def 2 ).

      A hacker got into my computer remotely and wiped my hard drive!

      The company has hired hackers to test system security.

hacker

/ ˈhækə /

noun

1. a person that hacks
2. slang.
   a computer fanatic, esp one who through a personal computer breaks into the computer system of a company, government, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of hacker¹

First recorded in 1200–50 hacker fordef 1; Middle English (as surname); hack ¹, -er ¹; 1965–70 hacker fordef 2

Example Sentences

A hacker has been sentenced to five years in a US prison for laundering the proceeds of one of the biggest ever cryptocurrency thefts.

From BBC

The hacker group Qilin, which held NHS hospitals to ransom earlier this summer, notably chose to publish stolen blood test data on its Telegram channel before its dark web website.

From BBC

For instance, if a child's password is "fluffy123," walk them through how effortless it would be for a hacker to guess.

From Salon

If the company did not pay, the hacker said they would publish or sell the stolen information online.

From BBC

Once given access to the company’s computer network, the hacker downloaded sensitive company data and sent a ransom demand.

From BBC

Related Words

• operator
• technician