noun
Uncommon
token
TOH-kuhn
Token (noun) means a small object, coin, or piece of metal or plastic used in place of money, such as for a subway turnstile or arcade machine. Example: “You need a token to get through the old subway turnstiles.”
noun
1
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."
"The arcade gave each child five tokens to spend on the games."
2
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."
"She kept the ticket stub as a token of their first date."
"Please accept this small gift as a token of our thanks."
3
A digital asset created and managed on a blockchain.
"The startup launched its own token to reward early users."
"Users can trade the token on several online exchanges."
"Each token on the blockchain records who owns a piece of digital art."
4
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."
"The tool split the sentence into tokens before the model read it."
"Long prompts use more tokens, so the answer costs a little more."
adjective
1
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."
"Inviting one woman to the panel felt like a token effort."
"His token apology did nothing to fix the problem."
How to use token
Learner’s notesIn 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
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like token.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- tokens
- Third person singular
- tokens
- Past tense
- tokened
- Comparative
- more token
- Superlative
- most token
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."
Related words
Rhymes for token
See all rhymes for token →Frequently asked questions
What does “token” mean?
The word “token” means a small object, coin, or piece of metal or plastic used in place of money, such as for a subway turnstile or arcade machine. In plain terms, a 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.
How do you pronounce “token”?
“Token” is pronounced TOH-kuhn (/ˈtoʊkən/ in IPA).
How do you use “token” in a sentence?
Here is “token” used in a sentence: “You need a token to get through the old subway turnstiles.”
What part of speech is “token”?
Depending on how it is used, “token” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “token” come from?
The word “token” comes from Old English. From Old English "tācn" ("sign, symbol"), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to show" or "to teach.".
Is “token” a common word?
“Token” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “token” have?
“Token” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small object, coin, or piece of metal or plastic used in place of money, such as for a subway turnstile or arcade machine.
What is the difference between a token and a coin?
A token is a small object, coin, or piece of metal or plastic used in place of money for a specific purpose, such as a subway turnstile or arcade machine, while a coin is official currency issued by a government and accepted as legal tender broadly. Tokens typically only have value within a limited system, unlike coins.
What is the difference between a token and a digital token or cryptocurrency token?
A traditional token is a physical object used in place of money for a specific purpose, while a digital token is a digital asset created and managed on a blockchain, representing value, ownership, or access within a digital system. Both share the idea of standing in for something of value, but one is physical and the other exists purely on a blockchain.
What does it mean when something is described as a token gesture?
A token gesture, using the adjective sense of token, is done only to give the appearance of meeting a requirement rather than as a genuine effort, such as a token apology or token effort. This use implies minimal real substance behind the action.
What is a token in the context of AI or computer processing?
In computing and AI, a token is a unit of text, such as a word or part of a word, that a computer program or AI model processes. Language models break text into tokens to analyze and generate language, and the number of tokens affects processing limits and cost.
