digital signature

American  

noun

Digital Technology.

1. an encrypted digital code appended to an electronic document to verify that it was created by a known source and has not been altered.

---

digital signature British  

noun

1. computing electronic proof of a person's identity involving the use of encryption; used to authenticate documents

---

Etymology

Origin of digital signature

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digital signature

It also added digital signature barcodes on driver’s licenses and identification cards as an added safeguard against identity fraud.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Hash matching is where media is given a unique digital signature which can be checked against hashes belonging to known content - in this case, databases of known CSAM.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2024

Now, another potential defense is gaining traction: digital watermarking, or the insertion of an indelible, covert digital signature into every piece of AI-produced content so the source is traceable.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 8, 2023

Some researchers are working on “watermarking”—creating an imperceptible digital signature in the AI’s output.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 10, 2023

The data is cryptographically sealed into the file; tampering with the image breaks the digital signature and prevents the credentials from appearing when using trusted software.

From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2023