password

Definition

A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.

Etymology

From pass + word. The sentry-passing sense predates the cryptographic sense and was its inspiration.

Example Sentences

• "Only if a would-be visitor knew the password du jour could he pass; the guards allowed no exceptions."
• "A strong password has a mixture of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and punctuation marks."