hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈha-kər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
1
: one that hacks
2
: a person who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity
a tennis hacker
3
: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
4
: a person who illegally gains access to and sometimes tampers with information in a computer system

Examples of hacker in a Sentence

My friends and I have been playing golf for years, but we're still just a bunch of hackers. the company's security experts spent days trying to figure out how a hacker could have gotten past the firewall
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That way, your antivirus software can detect threats in real-time, and a hacker would have to gain access to your phone and your Mac to execute any transactions. Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024 Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images For much of this summer, a mysterious group of hackers carried out a landmark spree of major data breaches, all targeting customers of the cloud data storage company Snowflake. Matt Burgess, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024 But that's exactly what's happening to Swifties nationwide as hackers target Ticketmaster accounts, stealing customers' tickets for resale on other sites. Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024 Merced plays Carla Vargas, the master hacker who was blackmailed by the FBI to help track down the duo. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hacker 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hacker was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hacker

Cite this Entry

“Hacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hacker

noun
hack·​er ˈhak-ər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
1
: one that hacks
2
: a person who is unskilled at a particular activity
3
: an expert at programming and solving problems with a computer
4
: a person who illegally gains access to a computer system

More from Merriam-Webster on hacker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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