What does "passport" mean?
An official document normally used for international journeys, which proves the identity and nationality of the person for whom it was issued.
Passport
/ˈpɑːspɔːt/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An official document normally used for international journeys, which proves the identity and nationality of the person for whom it was issued.
- Grammar: passport is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: authentication framework, authentication middleware, bill of health, clearance.
- Useful contrasts: no authentication, no travel document, unauthenticated access.
- Usage evidence: When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday.
How to use "passport"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "passport" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "passport" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "passport" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "passport" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "passport" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "authentication framework" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "passport", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An official document normally used for international journeys, which proves the identity and nationality of the person for whom it was issued.
"You will have to bring your passport to prove who you are."
- 2 any quality or characteristic that gains a person a favorable reception or acceptance or admission wordnet
- 3 Any document that allows entry or passage. broadly, informal
- 4 a document issued by a country to a citizen allowing that person to travel abroad and re-enter the home country wordnet
- 5 Something which enables someone to do or achieve something. figuratively
"The tenor's voice was his passport to the international concert circuit."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 any authorization to pass or go somewhere wordnet
- 7 An identification document used by firefighters, collected when they enter a dangerous area and returned when they leave, to keep track of who is still in the area.
Verb
- 1 To regulate how money given to a local authority must be spent.
"Did we not pass an Act last year which passported the money directly through to the schools and gave local authorities very little discretion?"
- 2 Providing the legal requirements to enable or legitimize cross-border economic activity.
"Apart from the condition in (ii), which may easily be overcome via an agreement between the depositor and the bank, European legislation does not preclude the entry of Islamic financial undertakings on the internal market at EU-based credit institutions because banking directives allow European credit institutions to perform not only the core banking business, but also passported activities according to the principle of mutual recognition and home country control."
- 3 To enable eligibility for a benefit automatically based on eligibility for a different benefit.
"At present, recipients of Working Tax Credit who are not also in receipt of Child Tax Credit are automatically passported to a full fee remission in some courts and tribunals, and those in receipt of Working Tax Credit and in receipt of child tax credit are passported in others (see annex B)."
Synonyms
All synonyms authentication frameworkauthentication middlewarebill of healthclearanceid cardidentification document
Antonyms
no authenticationno travel documentunauthenticated access
Example
"When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "passport"?
Common synonyms include: authentication framework, authentication middleware, bill of health, clearance, id card, identification document.
How do you use "passport" in a sentence?
When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday.
How do you pronounce "passport"?
Pronounced /ˈpɑːspɔːt/.
Etymology
From French passeport, from passer (“pass”) + port (“port”). Compare portpass. Equivalent to pass + port.