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 encryption is more than adequate to secure your data, and the aluminum chassis ensures it's protected from rough handling. —Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 20 June 2024

Robust Security Protocols: These platforms often employ a multi-layered security approach, including cold storage of assets, multi-factor authentication, and end-to-end encryption to protect against both external breaches and internal fraud. —Chris Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, 5 June 2024

Headlines about wrongful arrests based on facial recognition—or chatbots not properly protecting customer data via encryption—highlight the need for holistic AI governance within aviation. —Brian Tossan, Fortune, 9 May 2024

For them, and those who use the services, encryption is a guarantee of privacy and security, particularly in the face of criminal hacking and interference by authoritarian governments. —David Kaye, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1