cipher

noun, often attributive ci·pher \ ˈsī-fər \

Definition of cipher

1 a :zero 1a

b :one that has no weight, worth, or influence :nonentity

She was nothing more than a cipher.

2 a :a method of transforming a text in order to conceal its meaning

secret communications written in cipher

— compare code 3b

b :a message in code

The cipher cannot be decoded without the key.

3 :arabic numeral

4 :a combination of symbolic letters; especially :the interwoven initials of a name

coins that bore the cipher of the sultan

See cipher defined for English-language learners

See cipher defined for kids

Examples of cipher in a Sentence

a cipher that can't be decoded
She was nothing more than a cipher.

Recent Examples of cipher from the Web

Apart from veteran indie/underground queen Lowensohn's amusingly uninhibited and sardonic Luce, the characters are barely more than ciphers, and Manchette's social commentary aspects have largely been jettisoned.

— neil young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Let the Corpses Tan' ('Laissez bronzer les cadavres'): Film Review | Locarno 2017," 5 Aug. 2017
Slate isn't interested in being impenetrable or a Hollywood cipher, and her warmth and genuine relatability draw in fans who see her as an imaginary celebrity bestie.

— nojan aminosharei, Marie Claire, "Jenny Slate Is Trying Not to Overshare," 1 Aug. 2017
Alexander is a hostile cipher, a curt, dismissive bully whose contemptuous behavior on their wedding night is a shock to Katherine and to us, as well.

— kenneth turan, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Passion, oppression drive ‘Lady Macbeth’ story line," 27 July 2017
But its characters often feel like ciphers, generic stand-ins for the various factions implicated in cocaine’s rise.

— sophie gilbert, The Atlantic, "Snowfall Considers the Origins of the Crack Epidemic," 5 July 2017
The story of Jay Z's first cipher comes from his book, Decoded (2010).

— wyatt mason, Esquire, "A Comprehensive Look Back at the Brilliance That Is Shawn Carter," 7 June 2017
Given that the cipher as a space originates in places—

— wyatt mason, Esquire, "A Comprehensive Look Back at the Brilliance That Is Shawn Carter," 7 June 2017
This is evident in the archetype of the Mammy, the black maternal figure who acts as a cipher for the burdens of the white people around her and takes them on with an ever-present smile.

— maya rupert, The Atlantic, "Imagining a Black Wonder Woman," 29 May 2017
His mother had been a cipher clerk for the Army during the Second World War.

— dexter filkins, The New Yorker, "James Mattis, a Warrior in Washington," 29 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cipher.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cipher

Middle English, from Medieval Latin cifra, from Arabic ṣifr empty, cipher, zero

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

cipher Synonyms

Synonyms

aught, zero, goose egg, naught (also nought), nil, nothing, o, oh, zilch, zip

Antonyms

big shot, big wheel, bigwig, eminence, figure, kahuna, kingpin, magnate, nabob, personage, somebody, VIP

Related Words

blank, void

Near Antonyms

chief, head, lead, leader; celebrity, luminary, notable, personality, planet, star, superstar; authority, superior; great power, party, power

cipher

verb

Definition of cipher

ciphered; ciphering play \-f(ə-)riŋ\

intransitive verb

:to use figures in a mathematical process

all children should learn to read, write, and cipher
—M. Pattison

transitive verb

1 :encipher

ciphered the letters that passed between the two heads of state

2 :to compute arithmetically

ciphered out the sum in his head

Examples of cipher in a Sentence

were surprised by how much we had spent on the cruise after we had ciphered out the grand total

Recent Examples of cipher from the Web

These remnants, signals from an earlier phase of our human condition, have been endlessly ciphered by generations of archaeologists in the Bears Ears region (which is named for twin buttes near its center).

— stephen nash, New York Times, "At Bears Ears in Utah, Heated Politics and Precious Ruins," 25 July 2017