decrypt

American  

[dee-kript, dih-] / diˈkrɪpt, dɪ- /

verb (used with object)

1. to decode or decipher.

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decrypt British  

/ diːˈkrɪpt /

verb

1. to decode (a message) with or without previous knowledge of its key

2. to make intelligible (a television or other signal) that has been deliberately distorted for transmission

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Other Word Forms

• decrypted adjective
• decryption noun

Etymology

Origin of decrypt

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

Example Sentences

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

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

But businesses and governments face a problem right now, as attackers could harvest encrypted information and decrypt it later when they do gain access to suitably powerful devices.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025

The more data she had, the easier it was to decrypt the messages.

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