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.
Cite this Entry
“Cryptography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptography. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.
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