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

Walsh’s concern isn’t that ChatGPT has cracked Apple’s end-to-end encryption. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

For privacy, Surfshark uses AES-256 encryption and maintains a strict no-logs policy. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026

The theater’s digital system sat offline for so long that its encryption key expired, meaning the Bruin will need a new digital cinema server. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026

Instruct your architects to rebuild authorization systems and payment integrations, as well as secure all encryption protocols and data storage logic. — Ihor Hamal, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 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