pass code

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A short secret series of numbers or characters that must be entered to unlock a device or gain access.

   Grammar: Countable: set a passcode, enter the passcode.

   Patterns

   • enter a pass code
   • set a pass code for something

   Enter your pass code to unlock the phone.

   He forgot the pass code for his tablet.

   The garage uses a pass code instead of a key.

2. 2nouncountable

   A secret word or phrase used to prove you are allowed to enter a place.

   Grammar: Countable and often used in stories about secret clubs.

   Patterns

   • give the pass code

   The guard asked for the pass code before opening the door.

   The children invented a pass code for their treehouse.

   Only members who knew the pass code could enter.

Word forms

Common combinations

enter a pass code

Please enter a pass code to continue.

forget the pass code

I forgot the pass code for the safe.

change your pass code

Change your pass code every few months.

six-digit pass code

The phone asks for a six-digit pass code.

reset the pass code

You can reset the pass code with your email.

Synonyms and how they differ

password

A password is usually longer and can include letters and symbols, while a pass code is often just numbers.

PIN

A PIN is a short number linked to a card or account, so it is narrower than a pass code.

access code

Access code often refers to a number given by someone else to enter a service, rather than one you set.

key

A key suggests a physical object, whereas a pass code is information you remember.

Word family

code noun

a system of signs or numbers with a hidden meaning

pass verb

to go through or go by

password noun

a secret word used to log in

passkey noun

a key or code that opens something

Commonly confused: pass code or password?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pass code”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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