A person who attends a party or event without an invitation or without paying admission.
Compound of gate (entrance point) plus crash (to force entry) plus -er (agent noun). The term emerged in the early 1900s as parties and ticketed events became standard social forms.
Gatecrashers became such a recognizable type that they spawned entire comedies and social rules—the image of someone sneaking past a doorman trying to blend in is pure 20th-century anxiety made entertaining.
The term historically referenced uninvited men at society events; default masculine framing in media and literature persists.
Use with person's actual gender, or use 'uninvited guest' to avoid gendered role assumption.
["uninvited guest","unauthorized attendee"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.