Final answer:
A "shibboleth" is a word or term used to distinguish between members and non-members of a group, much like a password, based on linguistic or cultural differences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term "shibboleth" is usually understood in a cultural or sociolinguistic context as a word or term that provides a method for distinguishing between people, like a password. In history, it has been used to identify members of a group based on characteristics such as pronunciation or usage of language that outsiders are unlikely to mimic correctly.
The classic example comes from the Bible, where the Gileadites used the word "shibboleth" to identify escaping Ephraimites by their inability to pronounce the initial 'sh' sound. It is not associated with genocide, autocratic rule by a dictator, or a method for distinguishing ethics.