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 initiative is part of a broader push to maintain US leadership in a field that could eventually transform encryption, materials science, logistics, and weapons development. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

Cryptography forms the backbone of online encryption, used in web browsers, secure messaging and online banking. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 9 Oct. 2026

With 256-bit AES hardware encryption, your data is protected with a secure password. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Sometimes, it’s also sent to the cloud — hopefully with end-to-end encryption — for processing. — Victoria Song, The Verge, 6 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