cryptographic

adjective cryp·to·graph·ic \ ˌkrip-tə-ˈgra-fik \

|Updated on: 28 Jul 2018

Definition of cryptographic

: of, relating to, or using cryptography

—

cryptographically

play \ˌkrip-tə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of cryptographic from the Web

But even if the app uses a cryptographic hash or some other means to ensure that stored or transmitted audio fragments can’t be abused by company insiders or hackers (a major hypothetical), there are reasons users should reject this permission.

— dan goodin, Ars Technica, "This app in Google Play wants to use phone mics to enforce copyrights," 12 June 2018
But as bitcoin’s popularity swells, a small group of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and social entrepreneurs is trying to put the cryptographic ledger that underpins the novel currency to work in service of the vulnerable.

— jessi hempel, WIRED, "How Refugees Are Helping Create Blockchain's Brand New World," 14 Mar. 2018
Photographers will be able to upload their pictures and get them securely watermarked using a cryptographic hash that will then be immortalized on the blockchain.

— stephan goss, Fortune, "Commentary: Don’t Buy Kodak’s New Cryptocurrency. Buy its Stock Instead.," 18 Jan. 2018
Companies that build privacy or security systems plugged into Oasis Labs’ blockchain will be able to provide cryptographic assurances to one another, or their customers, that their systems are doing what was promised, says Song.

— tom simonite, WIRED, "How a Startup Is Using the Blockchain to Protect Your Privacy," 11 July 2018
In 2013, Lavabit, a privacy-focused email service favored by Snowden, shut down entirely rather than comply with an order to turn over its cryptographic keys to the U.S. government.

— jacob silverman, Longreads, "Private Telegram, Public Strife," 3 July 2018
An early motivation for public randomness was to help develop elegant cryptographic techniques called zero-knowledge protocols, which require each party to have access to the same random numbers.

— sophia chen, Science | AAAS, "Why are countries creating public random number generators?," 28 June 2018
WhatsApp and Signal store their messages in encrypted databases on the device, so an initial dump of the phone would have only provided a cryptographic blob.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "FBI recovers WhatsApp, Signal data stored on Michael Cohen’s BlackBerry," 15 June 2018
The consequences of the capture of the machines and cryptographic keys were very serious.

— WSJ, "Pueblo Capture: A Failure of Senior Officers," 5 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of cryptographic

crypto(graphy) + -graphic

Note: New Latin cryptographicus was already in use by Erycius Puteanus in 1612 (see note at cryptography), though this early occurrence is unlikely to have been the source of the English word.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1824

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year