hacker

noun

hack·​er ˈha-kər How to pronounce hacker (audio)
Synonyms of hackernext
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

Synonyms of hacker

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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.
The hackers are able to capture keystrokes, screenshots, audio, and video, monitor the clipboard, and operate the device remotely. — Mason Leib, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026 An on-chain analysis by blockchain intelligence firm Galaxy Research revealed that the hackers have already moved approximately 1,816 Bitcoin, worth nearly $116 million, off those wallets. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026 On today's episode of Tech Camp, co-hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber chase the rapid evolution of cybersecurity, which has led to an arms race between hackers and defenders. — Emily Kwong, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 Once inside, the hacker can change the DNS configuration without touching each guest's phone or laptop. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for hacker

See All Rhymes for hacker

Browse Nearby Words

Hackensack
hacker
hackery
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacker. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Nglish: Translation of hacker for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hacker

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All