encryption

noun

en·​cryp·​tion in-ˈkrip-shən 

en-

plural encryptions

1

: the act or process of encrypting something : a conversion of something (such as data) into a code or cipher

The regulations … make it harder to provide automatic encryption of information as it passes through the dozens of links in a typical Internet connection …

—Paul Wallich

… a hacker slips into a system, then puts encryption controls in place that locks users out.

—Elizabeth Millard

2

: a code or cipher produced by encrypting something

Artificial intelligence can decode encryptions that previously could not be cracked.

—Ana Swanson

Examples of encryption in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verdict: An Excellent Private Messaging App With a Caveat WhatsApp is a rock-solid messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption by default for all personal chat messages and Group Chats, though business conversations don't get that kind of protection. —PCMAG, 15 May 2024

In the years since, Apple has taken important steps to protect privacy, including features that require apps to get explicit permission from users to track their behavior and allow users to turn on end-to-end encryption for their messages and other data stored in Apple’s iCloud. —Katie Paul, Fortune, 13 May 2024

Enhanced Security: Electronic records management systems pack robust security features like encryption, access controls, and audit trails, keeping sensitive info safe from unauthorized access or tampering. —Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024

The security is also top-notch, boasting a two-step verification and video encryption. —Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 4 May 2024

In an April hearing for a case involving customers who sued the hotel chain, Marriott acknowledged that its systems were not encrypted and instead used secure hash algorithm 1 (SHA-1), which doesn't qualify as encryption. —Joe Hindy, PCMAG, 1 May 2024

The latest development is Europol and Europe’s police chiefs yesterday issuing a joint declaration slamming Big Tech—Meta in particular—for rolling out end-to-end encryption on their services. —David Meyer, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

Cryptocurrency is a type of virtual currency whose security comes from encryption. —Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2024

The standards would also have to include end-to-end encryption where possible to protect government communications from foreign surveillance. —Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1