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

Cyber recorded it as an encryption weakness. —Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Quicken Simplifi is a secure app that uses robust data encryption, multi-factor authentication and advanced encryption for at-rest, sensitive data. —Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 12 June 2026

The work covers encryption practices, secure data routing, and access controls for highly sensitive workloads. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 June 2026

Modern end-to-end encryption ensures that no third party can access the keys needed for real-time data streams in transit. —Leonard Lim, Fortune, 10 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for encryption

• ascription
• conscription
• decryption
• description
• egyptian
• inscription
• prescription
• proscription
• subscription
• transcription
• circumscription
• misdescription