watchword

[ woch-wurd ]

/ ˈwɒtʃˌwɜrd /

a word or short phrase to be communicated, on challenge, to a sentinel or guard; password or countersign.

a word or phrase expressive of a principle or rule of action; slogan: Conservation has been our watchword.

a rallying cry of a party, club, team, etc.

Origin of watchword

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at watch, word

1, 2 shibboleth.

3 motto.

The refusal to compromise is a watchword of their candidates who wear it as a badge of pride.

The Tea Party Isn’t a Political Movement, It’s a Religious One |Jack Schwartz |July 13, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Rather, it seems as though “crony capitalism” is the watchword for this administration.

The Rich Get Richer: Obama-Style Crony Capitalism |Lloyd Green |March 3, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Especially after the oil crisis, “the watchword was reasonableness.”

Space Shuttle Enterprise: Flashback to an Icon of ‘70s Design |Blake Gopnik |July 18, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
(The term “captology” is acronymically derived from their watchword: Computers As Persuasive Technology).

Facebook’s Organ-Donor Option Sounds Good, but Should We Be Paranoid About Privacy? |Kent Sepkowitz |May 2, 2012 |DAILY BEAST

Boldness is the watchword here, both in terms of the artwork on display and Work of Art itself.

Bravo’s Addictive ‘Work of Art’ |Jace Lacob |November 30, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Companies were forming, the watchword was already circulating, only the signal now remained to be given.

Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern Volume 11 |Various
Europe needs a bugbear, a watchword that threatens, a name that makes itself feared.

Fragments of an Autobiography |Felix Moscheles
In the navy regularity should be a watchword with all of us.

The Dreadnought Boys on Battle Practice |John Henry Goldfrap
The watchword was "Buford," the name of the brave officer whose troops had been massacred by Tarleton after their surrender.

Hero Stories from American History |Albert F. Blaisdell
"Careful driving" should be the watchword of everyone who owns a motor.

Book of Etiquette, Volume 2 |Lillian Eichler Watson

watchword

/ (ˈwɒtʃˌwɜːd) /

another word for password

a rallying cry or slogan