plaintext

noun

plain·​text ˈplān-ˌtekst How to pronounce plaintext (audio)
: the intelligible form of an encrypted text or of its elements compare ciphertext

Examples of plaintext in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Strings, the human-readable words included in code, are obfuscated instead of saved as plaintext. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2024 Nothing says the encrypted data doesn't contain any sensitive information in plaintext so your Apple ID remains secure. WIRED, 17 Nov. 2023 The company brought PowerToys back from the dead in 2019 and open-sourced it on GitHub; other tools for the suite include toggles for small-yet-useful features like plaintext pasting or the ability to keep an app always on top. Wes Davis, The Verge, 2 Sep. 2023 By carefully modifying the ciphertext, sending it to a targeted phone, and monitoring the phone's reaction, an attacker can learn the underlying plaintext contained in the ciphertext. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 24 Aug. 2020 The report also detailed security failures such as storing private keys to over $100 million in ethereum assets in plaintext. Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 13 Apr. 2023 Anyone still sending email in plaintext will likely regret it sooner rather than later. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Mar. 2023 This encrypted channel is set up on top of TLS, effectively hiding the exploits even from those who would be decrypting the TLS session in order to capture plaintext HTTP traffic. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 21 July 2022 System credentials needed by the bot should be encrypted and not accessible in plaintext. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 7 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plaintext.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of plaintext was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near plaintext

Cite this Entry

“Plaintext.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plaintext. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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