noun

token

TOH-kuhn

noun

A small object, coin, or piece of metal or plastic used in place of money, such as for a subway turnstile or arcade machine.

"You need a token to get through the old subway turnstiles."

"She fed another token into the pinball machine."

Something that stands for or symbolizes something else; a sign or keepsake.

"He gave her a small silver token as a token of his gratitude."

A digital asset created and managed on a blockchain.

"The startup launched its own token to reward early users."

A unit of text (such as a word or part of a word) that a computer program or AI model processes.

"The AI model charges per token processed, not per word."

adjective

Done only to give the appearance of meeting a requirement, rather than as a genuine effort.

"The company made a token gesture toward diversity without changing its hiring practices."

How to Use Token

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA stand-in for something else — a coin-like object used instead of cash, a symbolic gesture, a small keepsake, or (in computing) a chunk of data or text.

Common mistake

As an adjective ("a token effort," "a token gesture"), it implies the act is minimal and just for show — don't use it to describe a sincere, significant effort.

Common pairings

a token gesture security token subway token access token

Word Forms

more token comparative, tokened past tense, tokens plural, tokens singular, most token superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “token” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

You need a _____ to get through the old subway turnstiles.

Etymology

From Old English "tācn" ("sign, symbol"), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to show" or "to teach."

Rhymes for token

woken broken spoken Hoboken unbroken unspoken outspoken heartbroken

See all rhymes for token →