encrypt

verb

en·​crypt in-ˈkript How to pronounce encrypt (audio)
en-
encrypted; encrypting; encrypts

Examples of encrypt in a Sentence

The software will encrypt the message before it is sent.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advanced Encryption Protocols Ensure that your firm thoroughly encrypts its confidential and client data so that anyone who wrongfully accesses it cannot make sense of it without the proper key. Chad Sands, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 All data is encrypted to protect patients' privacy. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025 But it’s owned by a non-profit, not a private company, and the app is end-to-end encrypted by default. Clare Duffy, CNN, 9 Feb. 2025 In addition, hundreds of medical facilities have experienced ransomware attacks, in which malicious people encrypt a hospital’s computer systems and data and then demand a hefty ransom to restore access. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for encrypt

Word History

Etymology

en- entry 1 + -crypt (in cryptanalysis, cryptogram), perhaps after decrypt

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of encrypt was in 1944

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Encrypt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encrypt. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

encrypt

verb
en·​crypt
in-ˈkript
: to change (information) from one form to another especially to hide its meaning
encrypt the message
encryption
-ˈkrip-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on encrypt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!