password
/ˈpæs.wɜɹd/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.06 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.
noun
A string of characters used to log in to a computer or network, to access a level in a video game, and so on; archetypally a word but nowadays often an alphanumeric string or a phrase.
Example Sentences
- "Only if a would-be visitor knew the password du jour could he pass; the guards allowed no exceptions."
- "Now, Max, by what combination of circumstances is a rogue to know my password, to be able to forge my signature, to possess himself of my key, and to resemble me personally? And, finally, how is he possibly to determine beforehand whether there is anything in my safe to repay so elaborate a plant?"
- "A strong password has a mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and punctuation marks."
Etymology
From pass + word. The sentry-passing sense predates the cryptographic sense and was its inspiration.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpæs.wɜɹd/