password

American  

[pas-wurd, pahs-] / ˈpæsˌwɜrd, ˈpɑs- /

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.

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password British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of password

First recorded in 1810–20; pass + word

Example Sentences

Authorities have personally visited or notified victims at 58 locations, informing them of the incident and providing guidance on changing passwords.

From BBC

VPNs protect sensitive data, such as passwords or financial information, from falling into the wrong hands.

From Salon

Fraudsters send fake text messages - apparently from a bank or other trusted company - to trick people into disclosing personal information such as passwords and Pin numbers.

From BBC

As data travels over the internet to that website, the data is encrypted, so passwords, for example, aren’t intercepted.

From Salon

The email said: “If this was you, you’re all set! If this wasn’t you, please change your password.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• identification