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
Paul Wallich… a hacker slips into a system, then puts encryption controls in place that locks users out.—Elizabeth Millard
Elizabeth Millard2
: a code or cipher produced by encrypting something
Artificial intelligence can decode encryptions that previously could not be cracked.—Ana Swanson
Ana SwansonExamples of encryption in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cryptographers already knew one encryption scheme that was perfectly secure in principle.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Modern encryption relies on computers’ inability to unpick calculations involving enormous prime numbers, but quantum computers will sidestep that problem.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
An optimist and networker with Harpo Marx hair, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2023 for helping invent the HTTPS encryption system and was among the first to take AI seriously, back when AI seemed even more insane.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Security is top-notch, with Backblaze encryption protecting all uploaded data.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encryption
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Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
Modern encryption relies on computers’ inability to unpick calculations involving enormous prime numbers, but quantum computers will sidestep that problem.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
An optimist and networker with Harpo Marx hair, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2023 for helping invent the HTTPS encryption system and was among the first to take AI seriously, back when AI seemed even more insane.
—Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 18 Mar. 2026
Security is top-notch, with Backblaze encryption protecting all uploaded data.
—Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encryption
Cite this Entry
“Encryption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encryption. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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