encryption

noun

en·​cryp·​tion in-ˈkrip-shən How to pronounce encryption (audio)
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
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MinIO’s AIStor architecture incorporates enterprise-grade features, including atomic metadata storage, advanced erasure coding, comprehensive encryption, object immutability, and sophisticated identity and access management. Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 One thing to note is that upload speeds are slower than the competition because the encryption time needs to be factored in—a faster CPU will reduce that. K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025 Besides there being less interference than at radio waves, optical and infrared lasers also support quantum encryption — what's known as QKD, or quantum key distribution, in which the key to encrypting the data is encoded into the quantum superposition of the photons. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2025 One other tweak to the install process is the default behavior for Apple's FileVault disk encryption. ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for encryption

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of encryption was in 1953

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Cite this Entry

“Encryption.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encryption. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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