substitution cipher

noun

: a cipher in which the letters of the plaintext are systematically replaced by substitute letters compare transposition cipher

Examples of substitution cipher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Indeed, a simple substitution cipher like this almost always caves to the kind of frequency analysis Holmes used. PCMAG, 22 Aug. 2023 Related Stories To solve the first two passages, codebreakers used vigenere, which is what cryptologists call a polyalphabetic substitution cipher system. Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 3 Feb. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'substitution cipher.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of substitution cipher was in 1936

Dictionary Entries Near substitution cipher

Cite this Entry

“Substitution cipher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substitution%20cipher. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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