keygen

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/ˌkiːˈd͡ʒɛn/

noun

A small program used to generate a license key used to unlock a trial version of software illegitimately.

CommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounkeygen (plural keygens)

plural keygens

  1. computingA small program used to generate a license key used to unlock a trial version of software illegitimately.

    A key generator, or keygen, is a mini program that generates a product key or serial number that unlocks or activates software. Keygens are usually standalone executables, but some are command-line programs that you run in Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (OS X).

    2013, Chris Fehily, Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff

Origin

Short for key generator.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 註冊機 /注册机, 序號機 /序号机
  • 註冊機 /注册机 (zhùcèjī)program
  • 序號機 /序号机program
  • 序號產生器 /序号产生器program
  • 註冊碼生成器 /注册码生成器program
  • 序列號生成器 /序列号生成器program
Finnish avaingeneraattori, keygen
  • avaingeneraattoriprogram
  • keygenprogram
Russian кейген
  • кейген (kejgen)program

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with keygen

whenbeenthannthenevenwomenmenagainenuntenbenkenpendengenPennglenynGlennzenyensen
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

keygen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keygen

MLA

“keygen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keygen. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keygen,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keygen.

Source: keygen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.