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

But knowing our luck, we’ll be struggling with forgotten passwords for our smart toothbrushes and buggy firmware updates for our flying cars.

From The Wall Street Journal

Make sure passwords are accessible, and documents — wills, trusts, life-insurance policies, retirement funds — are organized for your children when the time comes.

From MarketWatch

NordVPN also offers threat protection and a password manager for those seeking additional security features.

From Salon

They can also demand passwords from suspects’ interlocutors.

From The Wall Street Journal

Set up automatic transfers into bank accounts, use password managers to access your online accounts and boost your computer data security with antivirus software and other precautionary steps.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• identification