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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

public key

One common security method involves encrypting data with a massive number known as a public key.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

But there is no standardized public key for deciphering them; codes vary among plants and products, and the absence of an obvious “TF” is no guarantee Taylor Farms wasn’t involved.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026

Passkeys are enabled by something called public key cryptography.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Researchers noted that up to 6.9 million Bitcoin are held in addresses where the public key is already exposed.

From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 2026

Now, the easiest way to fix this is to really widely advertise your public key.

From Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

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