Definition of cryptography
1 : secret writing
2 : the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher; also : the computerized encoding and decoding of information
3 : cryptanalysis
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Examples of cryptography in a Sentence
Companies often use cryptography to protect private information.
Recent Examples of cryptography from the Web
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With code breakers and code makers all in the same agency, NSA has more expertise in cryptography than any other entity in the country, public or private.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cryptography'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
For a word having to do with secrets, "cryptography" has a surprisingly transparent etymology. The word traces back to the Greek roots kryptos, meaning "hidden," and graphein, meaning "to write." "Kryptos" - which in turn traces to the Greek verb kryptein, meaning "to hide" - is a root shared by several English words, including "crypt," "cryptic," and "encrypt." "Krypton," the name of a colorless gaseous element used especially in some fluorescent lamps and photography flashes, also comes from "kryptos." The name was chosen because the gas is rare and hard to find.
Origin and Etymology of cryptography
New Latin cryptographia, from crypt- + -graphia -graphy
First Known Use: 1646
CRYPTOGRAPHY Defined for English Language Learners
cryptography
playDefinition of cryptography for English Language Learners
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: the process of writing or reading secret messages or codes
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