hacker

hacker — noun

1. A person who secretly enters a computer system or network that belongs to someon

1.nounB1
Definition

A person who secretly enters a computer system or network that belongs to someone else, usually with the aim of stealing, changing, or looking at private information, or of causing damage to the system.

Example

A hacker broke into the hospital's database and stole thousands of patient records.

break into + database for illegal data theft

An online retailer hired a security firm after hackers used fake logins to steal customer data.

collocation: fake logins for credential-based attacks

Common collocations
  • break into
  • steal data
  • hacker attack
  • security breach
  • target system
  • access illegally
Synonyms
  • cybercriminal

    More specific — focuses on the criminal/legal aspect rather than the technical method

  • intruder

    Broader — can apply to physical break-ins as well as digital ones

Grammar Patterns

hacker + verb + into + [system/network/database]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in news reports about cybersecurity incidents. The subject of the verb is often a specific individual or an organized group using automated tools.

Common Mistakes

A hacker is someone who is good with computers.
A hacker is someone who secretly breaks into computer systems to steal information or cause damage.
In everyday language, hacker usually refers to someone who commits an online crime.

2. A person who secretly accesses another person's telephone or voicemail system wi

2.nounB2
Definition

A person who secretly accesses another person's telephone or voicemail system without permission, usually to listen to recorded messages.

Example

The reporter realised a phone hacker had accessed her voicemails when she found calls she had never made.

realise + when + found calls for discovery pattern

After the newspaper phone hacking scandal broke, Henrik changed his voicemail password the next day.

collocation: phone hacking scandal broke

Common collocations
  • voicemail intercept
  • phone system
  • private messages
  • hacking scandal
Synonyms
  • eavesdropper

    Broader — can apply to any secret listening, not just via phones

  • wiretapper

    More specific to phone tapping but somewhat dated in modern usage

Grammar Patterns

phone hacker + verb + [phone/voicemail/system]

Usage Note

Narrower than sense 1 — the target is always a phone or voicemail system. Frequently appears in the compound 'phone hacker' or the set phrase 'phone-hacking scandal,' especially in British journalism.

Common Mistakes

The phone hacker fixed my broken telephone.
The phone hacker accessed my voicemail messages without permission.
A phone hacker does not repair telephones; they secretly listen to someone else's messages.

3. A person with strong skills in computer programming who enjoys finding clever wa

3.nounB1
Definition

A person with strong skills in computer programming who enjoys finding clever ways to solve technical problems, build software, or make a computer system do new things.

Example

A group of hackers in Berlin built a free app that teaches Japanese through daily news stories.

group of hackers in [city] + built + app for collaborative projects

Sayaka is a skilled hacker who built a tool that catches bugs in medical software before release.

skilled hacker + built + tool that catches bugs for positive sense

Common collocations
  • write code
  • solve problems
  • open source
  • build software
  • technical skill
Synonyms
  • programmer

    Broader — every hacker is a programmer but not every programmer is a hacker in the skilled sense

  • developer

    More professional in tone, less emphasis on creative enthusiasm

  • coder

    Informal, similar level of enthusiasm, but less specific about skill level

Grammar Patterns

hacker + verb + [code/software/problem/solution]

Usage Note

The original computing sense, still common in developer communities rather than news media. Distinguished from sense 1 by context — words like 'skilled,' 'build,' 'contribute,' or 'solve' signal the positive meaning. In technical circles, this is the default sense.

Common Mistakes

My brother is a hacker who steals people's passwords.
My brother is a hacker who builds useful software and solves computer problems.
Not all hackers do illegal things; in the computing world, hacker can mean a talented programmer.

Word family

  • hack
    verbB1
  • hacking
    nounB2
  • hackable
    adjectiveC1
  • cracker
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In computing culture, a 'cracker' specifically refers to someone who breaks into systems for malicious purposes, while 'hacker' originally described a skilled, creative programmer — though in popular media, 'hacker' is now widely used for the malicious sense. 'Cybercriminal' is broader and more legal in tone, covering any computer-based crime such as fraud, identity theft, or ransomware. 'Intruder' is a more general term for someone who enters a place (physical or digital) without permission. While a hacker might be called an intruder when breaking into a network, not every intruder is a hacker. For example, if someone simply guesses a password and logs into an email account, they are an intruder — but journalists would call them a hacker only if they used technical skill to bypass security measures.

hacker ↗crackercybercriminalintruder

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • ethical hacker
  • phone hacking
  • computer hacking
  • hacker group
  • hacker attack

Prepositions

Etymology

Englishhack + -er

From the verb 'hack,' meaning to cut roughly or chop, combined with the agent suffix '-er.' The computing sense originated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the 1960s, where a 'hack' meant a clever prank or an elegant technical solution. The negative meaning of someone who breaks into computer systems became common in the 1980s, as computer crime entered the public spotlight.