passkey

noun

pass·​key ˈpas-ˌkē 

plural passkeys

1

: a key that provides special access (as to a secure area)

… left his swipe-card passkey behind when he stepped outside the tower's secure door and was unable to get back in …

—UPI.com

: such as

a

: a key designed to open any of a set of similar locks : master key

b

: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key : skeleton key

2

: an authentication method that uses biometrics (such as fingerprint or facial recognition) to identify and grant access to an authorized user

Instead of a vulnerable password, passkeys work by using your biometric data as your login 'fingerprint.' For example, you could use the Touch ID button on a Mac or a facial recognition scanner on your smartphone to log in to your account. No typing required.

—digitaltrends.com

Examples of passkey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Now, however, membership really is free as Google enables enrollment using passkeys instead. —Davey Winder, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

This new passkeys experience will also support saving passkeys to third-party apps or syncing them to your Microsoft account. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 1 Nov. 2024

And although superseding any technology as entrenched as passwords is difficult, new features and resources launching this week are pushing passkeys toward a tipping point. —Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 14 Oct. 2024

From the user’s point of view, the passkey process is pretty easy. —Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1633, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

passkey

noun

pass·​key ˈpas-ˌkē 

1

: a key for opening two or more locks

2

: skeleton key