decrypt

American

[dee-kript, dih-] / diˈkrɪpt, dɪ- /

verb (used with object)

to decode or decipher.

decrypt British

/ diːˈkrɪpt /

verb

to decode (a message) with or without previous knowledge of its key
to make intelligible (a television or other signal) that has been deliberately distorted for transmission

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

decrypted adjective
decryption noun

Etymology

Origin of decrypt

First recorded in 1935–40; de- + crypt(ogram)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Users record from the Toosheh satellite TV channel onto a USB stick plugged into their set-top box, which they can then decrypt using a special app installed on their phone or computer.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

The data may be encrypted to fend off hackers, but the companies can decrypt and, if presented with a warrant, share it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

And one of the UK's leaders in the field points out what is up for grabs in the quantum world - the eventual power to decrypt almost anything from state secrets to Bitcoin.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2026

It then sends the response back to the VPN server, which encrypts and sends it back to you for your device to decrypt.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

Their mission was to decrypt the entire First Folio, and they needed another assistant.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023