public-key
noun
pub·lic-key
ˈpə-blik-ˈkē 
often attributive
: a cryptographic element that is the publicly shared half of an encryption code and that can be used only to encode messages
Examples of public-key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Rodriguez points to advances in domain name system security extensions (DNSSEC), which uses digital signatures based on public-key cryptography to strengthen the authentication of the domain name system.
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IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Quantum-vulnerable public-key algorithms such as RSA and ECDSA must be deprecated by approximately 2030 for lower security levels and fully disallowed after 2035.
—Connie McIntosh, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Google is dramatically shortening its readiness deadline for the arrival of Q Day, the point at which existing quantum computers can break public-key cryptography algorithms that secure decades’ worth of secrets belonging to militaries, banks, governments, and nearly every individual on earth.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 25 Mar. 2026
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IEEE Spectrum, 6 May 2026
Quantum-vulnerable public-key algorithms such as RSA and ECDSA must be deprecated by approximately 2030 for lower security levels and fully disallowed after 2035.
—Connie McIntosh, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Google is dramatically shortening its readiness deadline for the arrival of Q Day, the point at which existing quantum computers can break public-key cryptography algorithms that secure decades’ worth of secrets belonging to militaries, banks, governments, and nearly every individual on earth.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Public-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public-key. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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