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

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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.
French newspaper Le Monde reported that hackers also extended the defrost cycle in some freezers and cold-storage rooms from one hour to eight hours to delay alarms. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026 Refrigerators in French supermarkets are being targeted by remote hackers, who are dialing up their temperature to more than 120 degrees. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 12 Oct. 2026 No connected vehicle comes with a promise that hackers will never target it. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 In the following months, Ahmed started appearing in the press as a sophisticated hacker and activist whose robot would save countless lives. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 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

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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 14 Oct. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hacker

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