cryptography
noun
cryp·tog·ra·phy
krip-ˈtä-grə-fē 
1
: secret writing
2
: the enciphering and deciphering of messages in secret code or cipher
also
: the computerized encoding and decoding of information
3
Did you know?
For a word having to do with secrets, cryptography has a surprisingly transparent origin. The word comes from Greek kryptós, meaning "hidden" or "secret," and graphein, meaning "to write." Besides the familiar related words of the same origin, such as cryptic, there is krypton, the name of a colorless gaseous element used especially in some fluorescent lamps and photography flashes. The name was chosen because the gas is rare and hard to find.
Examples of cryptography in a Sentence
Companies often use cryptography to protect private information.
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no shortage of technical tools today, especially from the field of cryptography, that can effectively bind a digital identity to a transaction, Ramzan said.
—
Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, this includes some public key security protocols like RSA cryptography, which, among other things, is used to secure private conversations, financial transactions and government communications systems.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
That line of work has led to important progress in disparate fields of computer science, from cryptography (opens a new tab) to algorithmic game theory.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
The global digital economy relies on cryptography, which will become obsolete in the post-quantum era.
—Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
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Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
Unfortunately, this includes some public key security protocols like RSA cryptography, which, among other things, is used to secure private conversations, financial transactions and government communications systems.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
That line of work has led to important progress in disparate fields of computer science, from cryptography (opens a new tab) to algorithmic game theory.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
The global digital economy relies on cryptography, which will become obsolete in the post-quantum era.
—Chris Dimitriadis, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cryptography
Cite this Entry
“Cryptography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptography. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cryptography
noun
cryp·tog·ra·phy
krip-ˈtäg-rə-fē
: the coding and decoding of secret messages or digital information
cryptographer
noun
-fər
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