In plain English
It is a piece of digital sign-in proof used to confirm that the person is the right account holder. It serves as the credential for that identity check, so the sign-in does not rely on a password.
In context
Here, "passkey" denotes an additional account sign-in credential that can be added for verifying identity without a password.
- Situation
- Setting passwords, multifactor authentication, recovery codes, and trusted devices
- What it communicates
- labels an additional sign-in method that can be added in account security settings
Meaning limits
The term by itself does not say how the credential is created, stored, or managed.
Examples
“She signed in to her account with a passkey instead of entering a password.”
“After opening the account, she added a passkey for later sign-ins.”