public key

American  

[puhb-lik kee] / ˈpʌb lɪk ˈki /

noun

public keys plural

1. Computers. a message encryption key available to anyone, allowing the resulting encrypted messages to be decrypted only when paired with a private key known only to the message recipient.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• public keys
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public key

A public key, its complement, is shared openly in order to receive crypto.

From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026

"The theory of how to break current forms of public key encryption await a truly operational quantum computer," he adds.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025

"This small business loan census will give the public key data on this market to ensure that banks and non-banks are serving small businesses fairly," he said.

From Reuters ● Mar. 30, 2023

But nobody has actually ever seen the public key so we can’t actually be sure how much El Salvador is holding at any given time.

From Slate ● May 31, 2022

I'd decrypt it, read it, re-encrypt it with your boss's real public key and send it on.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory