Hacker Originally Meant a Skilled Enthusiast
A hacker breaks into computer systems, or builds clever ones. The two meanings still compete, and one community minds a great deal.
A hacker is someone who breaks into computer systems, or in the older sense someone who solves problems with ingenuity. The original meaning came from 1960s university computing, where a hack was a clever technical feat. Programmers who use the word that way distinguish themselves from *crackers*, though the security sense has won in general use.
- Someone who breaks into systems. *A malicious hacker.*
- A skilled enthusiast. *A talented hacker.*
- Hack — a clever solution, or a crude one. *A useful hack.*
- Life hack — a practical shortcut. *A kitchen life hack.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hacker | An ethical hacker. |
| Plural | hackers | Two hackers. |
| Verb | hack | Hack the system. |
| Noun | hack | A neat hack. |
| Related | cracker | A malicious cracker. |
How it is used in a sentence
- An ethical hacker tests defences.Employed to find weaknesses.
- That is a clever hack.A neat solution.
- A hack is also a mediocre writer.From hackney, a hired horse.
Kinds of hacker
- White hat — tests security with permission
- Black hat — breaks in for gain or damage
- Grey hat — acts without permission but not maliciously
- Hacktivist — attacks systems for political ends
- Script kiddie — uses others' tools without understanding them
From *hack*, Old English *haccian*, to cut roughly. The computing sense arose at MIT in the 1960s, the security sense in the 1980s.
Is *hacker* always negative?
No. In programming culture it means a skilled and inventive problem-solver. The security sense dominates general use.
Why is a poor writer a hack?
From *hackney*, a horse available for hire, which came to mean anyone doing routine work for pay.