The terminology for replacing a word, name, or sensitive information with characters (such as asterisks, dots, or other symbols) is called "masking" or "redaction."

Common Types of Masking:

• Password Masking – Replacing characters with symbols (e.g., ***** or ••••) in login fields.
• Data Redaction – Hiding parts of sensitive data in documents (e.g., J*** D*** or 123-45-**** for a Social Security Number).
• Obfuscation – Scrambling or modifying data to prevent unauthorized access.
• Tokenization – Replacing sensitive data with unique identifiers or tokens.