cryptosystem

noun

cryp·​to·​sys·​tem ˌkrip-tō-ˈsi-stəm How to pronounce cryptosystem (audio)
: a method for encoding and decoding messages

Examples of cryptosystem in a Sentence

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The Monday blog post goes on to argue, however, that the results are nonetheless meaningful and could ultimately fundamentally disrupt the process of cryptanalysis, or the adversarial testing of cryptosystems. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 29 July 2026 Quantum computing, with algorithms like Shor’s and Grover’s, promises to render many of these cryptosystems obsolete in a single step of computing evolution. — Morey Haber, Forbes.com, 24 Mar. 2026 Open-sourcing the entire protocol makes sure the cryptosystem conforms to this rule. — IEEE Spectrum, 13 Feb. 2024 The fear is that, sometime down the road, a fault-tolerant quantum computer will be used to break existing cryptosystems. — Kazuhiro Gomi, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 In one foul swoop, Shor’s work raised the prospect that any public key cryptosystem could be cracked by a quantum computer in future. — Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

crypto- + system

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cryptosystem was in 1949

Rhymes for cryptosystem

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Browse Nearby Words

Cryptostomata
cryptosystem
Cryptotermes
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Cite this Entry

“Cryptosystem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cryptosystem. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cryptosystem

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cryptosystem

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