two-factor authentication

noun

two-fac·​tor authentication ˈtü-ˈfak-tər- 

: a method of verifying the identity of a person (as for granting access to a system) by requiring a password and an additional form of authorization (such as a code, a fingerprint, or a smartphone app)

—abbreviation 2FA compare multi-factor authentication

Examples of two-factor authentication in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

My colleague Davey Winder recently reported that Google is phasing out SMS as a means of two-factor authentication because of fears over its security. —Barry Collins, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

The app further secures data with server-side encryption and account protection tools like two-factor authentication. —PCMAG, 25 Feb. 2025

Individuals who have already verified their identity with ID.me would simply need to login, according to the company, and pass a two-factor authentication process, such as sending a code to your phone. —Susan Tompor, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2025

There are stronger methods of two-factor authentication than text messages. —Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1990, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for two-factor authentication

• deindustrialization
• immunoprecipitation
• individualisation
• individualization
• institutionalisation
• institutionalization
• internationalization
• neovascularization
• operationalization
• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration