password

noun

pass·​word ˈpas-ˌwərd 

plural passwords

1

: something that enables one to pass or gain admission: such as

a

: a spoken word or phrase required to pass by a guard

b

: a sequence of characters required for access to a computer system or digital device compare passcode

2

: watchword

Synonyms

• countersign
• watchword
• word

Examples of password in a Sentence

You need to enter your password to check your e-mail.

the password for the all-night rave will be changed next week

Recent Examples on the Web

Use strong, unique passwords and enable 2FA: A password manager can help generate and store strong passwords for each site. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025

Two good starting points are to lock your credit bureau records in case your government data is disclosed and using different logins and passwords on federal websites to conduct business. —Richard Forno, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2025

Process Analysis: Evaluating employee practices, such as phishing awareness and password management. —Garrett Vanderpool, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2025

In response to rectifying the matter, Grubhub changed passwords and improved the monitoring of its internal services. —Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

password

noun

pass·​word -ˌwərd 

1

: a word or phrase that must be spoken by a person in order to pass a guard

2

: a secret series of numbers or letters required for access to a computer