steganography
noun
steg·a·nog·ra·phy
ˌste-gə-ˈnä-grə-fē 
1
archaic
: cryptography
2
: the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file
Did you know?
Steganography is a word that was resurrected after being in disuse for almost 150 years! It was put to rest in the early 1800s, labeled an archaic synonym of "cryptography" by dictionary makers, but was brought back to life in the 1980s as a word for a type of digital cryptography. There is nothing cryptic about the word's origin; it is based on the Greek word steganos, meaning "covered" or "reticent."
Examples of steganography in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Content concealed through steganography is sometimes encrypted before being hidden within another file format.
—
Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
In modern times, the movie industry was the first to use steganography to limit piracy and theft of valuable content.
—Troy Batterberry, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Individualize Data And Files: One promising area to prevent leaks has its origins in Ancient Greece and is known as steganography, or the act of concealing information in plain sight.
—Troy Batterberry, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
This time, some variants use techniques such as steganography, an obfuscation method rarely seen in mobile malware.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 23 Sep. 2024
The security flaw relies on steganography—the practice of hiding a message within another message.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2015
Szczypiorski calls his program StegIbiza — steganography perfect for Ibiza.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2016
But if Russian espionage seems old school, steganography is older still.
—Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 2 July 2010
Using steganography to hide their communications in plain sight.
—Dipesh Ranjan, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
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Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
In modern times, the movie industry was the first to use steganography to limit piracy and theft of valuable content.
—Troy Batterberry, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Individualize Data And Files: One promising area to prevent leaks has its origins in Ancient Greece and is known as steganography, or the act of concealing information in plain sight.
—Troy Batterberry, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
This time, some variants use techniques such as steganography, an obfuscation method rarely seen in mobile malware.
—Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 23 Sep. 2024
The security flaw relies on steganography—the practice of hiding a message within another message.
—IEEE Spectrum, 16 Jan. 2015
Szczypiorski calls his program StegIbiza — steganography perfect for Ibiza.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 24 Aug. 2016
But if Russian espionage seems old school, steganography is older still.
—Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 2 July 2010
Using steganography to hide their communications in plain sight.
—Dipesh Ranjan, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Steganography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steganography. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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