white hat

American  

[hwahyt hat, wahyt] / ˈʰwaɪt ˈhæt, ˈwaɪt /

noun

Informal.

1. a virtuous hero, especially in a cowboy movie; good guy.

2. Also called white hat hacker.  Computers. a hacker who violates the security of a system with the knowledge and consent of the owner or developer in order to test the code, without malicious intent.

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white hat British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a computer hacker who is hired by an organization to undertake nonmalicious hacking work in order to discover computer-security flaws

   2. ( as modifier ) Compare black hat

      a white-hat hacker

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Other Word Forms

• white-hat adjective
• white-hatted adjective

Etymology

Origin of white hat

First recorded in 1960–65 white hat for def. 1, and in 1990–95 white hat for def. 2; from the white hat often worn by the virtuous hero in a cowboy movie

Compare meaning

How does white-hat compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• white hat vs. black hat

Example Sentences

And then someone rode in with some answers — not a man in a white hat, like a movie hero, but a man in a white lab coat.

From Los Angeles Times

Here I am knocking on the door, watching a figure approach through the glass: a maid in a crisp white hat.

From Literature

I take my beautiful white hat out of my pocket and slide that across the counter, too.

From Literature

She chose not to wear the white hat and veil again and also arrived without the white umbrella - but that did not stop some fans in the stands trying to imitate the already-iconic look.

From BBC

Supporters of his so-called “White Hat” movement — after the popular mayor’s signature sombrero — took to the streets of Uruapan and other cities in Michoacán state this month by the tens of thousands to demand a crack-down on organized crime.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affable
• amiable
• attractive
• charming
• easygoing
• gregarious
• likable
• pleasant