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steganography

noun
steg·​a·​nog·​ra·​phy | \ ˌste-gə-ˈnä-grə-fē \

Definition of steganography

1 archaic : cryptography
2 : the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file
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Other Words from steganography

steganographic \ ˌste-​gə-​nə-​ˈgra-​fik \ adjective

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

 Mallory explained in interviews with the CIA and FBI that were played in court on Thursday that the phone contained an app designed to facilitate steganography, or the hiding of information inside of an image. — Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, "Faulty Chinese spy technology may help convict former CIA officer of espionage," 1 June 2018 Provos has been working on steganography since June, ever since USA Today printed a sensationalistic report, which called encryption one of bin Laden's favorite tools. — Farhad Manjoo, WIRED, "Hidden Messages: Any There There?," 8 Nov. 2001

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steganography.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of steganography

1985, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for steganography

New Latin steganographia, from Greek steganos covered, reticent (from stegein to cover) + Latin -graphia -graphy — more at thatch

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Dictionary Entries near steganography

steg

steg-

steganogram

steganography

steganopod

Steganopodes

steganopodous

Statistics for steganography

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Time Traveler for steganography

The first known use of steganography was in 1985

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More from Merriam-Webster on steganography

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about steganography

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