public-key
noun
pub·lic-key
ˈpə-blik-ˈkē 
often attributive
: a cryptographic element that is the publicly shared half of an encryption code and that can be used only to encode messages
Examples of public-key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Password managers greatly reduce the risk of data breaches by providing multiple layers of encryption, including public-key cryptography, directly on your device.
—
Darren Guccione, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Identify all areas where public-key cryptography is used, including data storage, communication protocols, software libraries and digital certificates.
—Ali El Kaafarani, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The technological foundation of Bitcoin—public-key cryptography, computer networking, and economic incentives—is based on science, not politics.
—Korok Ray, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
But a quantum computer would render the standard types of public-key cryptography useless.
—Kelsey Houston-Edwards, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Lost in the Trees Regev began his academic career in the late 1990s, when cryptographers were searching for a new form of public-key cryptography that wasn’t vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
That technology is also what makes security keys vulnerable to quantum attacks, because all current forms of public-key cryptography are expected to be easily broken by quantum computers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2023
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Darren Guccione, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Identify all areas where public-key cryptography is used, including data storage, communication protocols, software libraries and digital certificates.
—Ali El Kaafarani, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
The technological foundation of Bitcoin—public-key cryptography, computer networking, and economic incentives—is based on science, not politics.
—Korok Ray, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024
But a quantum computer would render the standard types of public-key cryptography useless.
—Kelsey Houston-Edwards, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Lost in the Trees Regev began his academic career in the late 1990s, when cryptographers were searching for a new form of public-key cryptography that wasn’t vulnerable to Shor’s algorithm.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 17 Oct. 2023
That technology is also what makes security keys vulnerable to quantum attacks, because all current forms of public-key cryptography are expected to be easily broken by quantum computers.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near public-key
Cite this Entry
“Public-key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public-key. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share