In plain English
It is a code used like a password to confirm a person's identity. Its key feature is that it works for only a single use, so the same code is not valid again.
In context
Here, OTP labels the single-use password requested to verify the user's identity.
- Situation
- Setting passwords, multifactor authentication, recovery codes, and trusted devices
- What it communicates
- labels the code requested in the verification form after password entry
Meaning limits
By itself, the term does not say how the password is provided or what happens after identity verification.
Examples
“She entered the OTP once, but the same code was rejected when she tried to use it again to verify her identity.”
“At the check-in desk, he gave the OTP to verify his identity.”