hacker
/hækə(ɹ)/noun
Someone who breaks into computer systems or networks without permission, often to steal data or cause damage.
Example sentences
- “A hacker stole thousands of passwords from the company's database.”
- “Hackers shut down the city's computer systems for three days.”
Within programming culture the word is positive, meaning a clever, curious coder; the criminal sense is the media's. 'Life hack' spun the tinkering sense into everyday advice.