Watchword
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A word used as a motto, as expressive of a principle, belief, or rule of action; a rallying cry.
""How this perpetual gaiety," exclaimed Louis, "jars upon the ear! Good Heaven! is farewell to be said so gladly? I sometimes start when I think upon the hollowness of all that surrounds me. I often wish my eye had the power of searching the inmost depths of the bosoms whose watchword is my name.""
- 2 a secret word or phrase known only to a restricted group wordnet
- 3 A prearranged reply to the challenge of a sentry or a guard; a password or signal by which friends can be known from enemies.
"a Watchword sufficient for him that is wiſe"
- 4 a slogan used to rally support for a cause wordnet
Example
More examples"Instead of the conservative motto, "A fair day's wages for a fair day's work," we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, "Abolition of the wage system.""
Etymology
From Middle English wacche word, wacchworde, morphologically as watch (“guard, sentinel, sentry”) + word.
More for "watchword"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.