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

The most important thing to look for is whether a password manager offers encryption, which keeps your passwords safe and unreadable to hackers. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Critically, encryption prevented the report’s authors from determining what the network traffic contained. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

For people who frequently encounter login interruptions, a dedicated IP may provide a more consistent browsing experience without giving up VPN encryption. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

The encryption tool will protect writers from their work being exploited by AI without their consent. — J. Kim Murphy, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 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