encryption

American  

[en-krip-shuhn] / ɛnˈkrɪp ʃən /

noun

1. the act or practice of converting messages into cipher or code.

   During World War II, the encryption process involved code tables and a machine.

2. Computers. the act or practice of changing digital data into a form that cannot be read without converting it back using a unique key.

   Though its data encryption is strong, the app has other security flaws exploited by hackers.

---

encryption Cultural  

1. The process of encoding a message so that it can be read only by the sender and the intended recipient. Encryption systems often use two keys, a public key, available to anyone, and a private key that allows only the recipient to decode the message. (See also cryptography.)

---

Etymology

Origin of encryption

First recorded in 1940–45; 1960–65 encryption for def. 2; encrypt ( def. ) + -ion ( def. )

Explanation

Encryption is the process of translating something into a code, so that data is protected, hidden, or concealed. Encryption makes it difficult for hackers to steal people's credit card numbers. If there's information worth stealing, encryption is used to protect it — especially when it comes to computer or electronic data that holds financial, private, or dangerous material. Governments use encryption to hide classified information, and banks use it to protect their customers' money and other data. Crypt- has been used to mean "secret or hidden" since the 1700s, and it comes from a Greek root, kryptos, "hidden or concealed."

Example Sentences

Cyberattackers accused of Russian links did not target the encryption system directly.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

Others note that payments involve all sorts of security and encryption issues, lest someone’s financial information become exposed on an AI platform.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 25, 2026

On platforms like WhatsApp, where messages are protected by end-to-end encryption and can only be read by the sender and recipient, monitoring content is inherently difficult.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Its office features a replica of the Apollo 11 command module and an authentic Enigma encryption machine from 1943—the German device cracked by Allied codebreakers including celebrated British mathematician Alan Turing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Modern data encryption uses a mix of the two techniques, allowing us to send messages and do business safely on our phones and computers.

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