alphanumeric

adjective

al·​pha·​nu·​mer·​ic ˌal-fə-nu̇-ˈmer-ik 

-nyu̇-

variants or less commonly alphanumerical

ˌal-fə-n(y)u̇-ˈmer-i-kəl 

1

: consisting of both letters and numbers and often other symbols (such as punctuation marks and mathematical symbols)

an alphanumeric code

also : being a character in an alphanumeric system

2

: capable of using or displaying alphanumeric characters

alphanumerically

ˌal-fə-n(y)u̇-ˈmer-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

alphanumerics

ˌal-fə-n(y)u̇-ˈmer-iks 

plural noun

Did you know?

Alphanumeric passwords are much harder for a hacker to crack than plain alphabetic passwords, since the number of possible combinations is so much greater. License plates usually contain both letters and numbers, since, for a big state or country, the plate wouldn't be large enough to fit enough numbers for everyone. In computing, the standard alphanumeric codes, such as ASCII, may contain not only ordinary letters and numerals but also punctuation marks and math symbols.

Examples of alphanumeric in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The readout is visually closer to an LED clock radio than a smart display and is only slightly more flexible than a purely alphanumeric output. —PCMAG, 25 Mar. 2025

Using hard-to-crack alphanumeric code to unlock your phone rather than a four digit PIN or biometrics is the strongest approach to securing the device. —Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025

Use a strong passcode: Set up a strong alphanumeric passcode instead of a simple four-digit PIN. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2025

Five years and an alphanumeric soup of variants later, most of us have gotten COVID at least once. —Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alphabetic + numeric, numerical

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for alphanumeric

• ionospheric
• magnetospheric
• oligomeric
• allosteric
• amphoteric
• anomeric
• atmospheric
• chromospheric
• climacteric
• congeneric
• dysenteric
• esoteric