cryptography
n.n. the study or practice of writing and solving secret codes. It is used to keep information safe so that only the right people can read it.
n. the science or practice of transforming information into a secure format to prevent unauthorised access. It involves the use of mathematical algorithms to encrypt and decrypt data.
Modern banking relies on cryptography to keep your money safe.
The government uses advanced cryptography to protect sensitive communications from being intercepted by foreign agencies.
While classical cryptography focused on simple letter substitution, modern digital systems employ complex prime number factorisation to ensure the integrity of global financial transactions.
From crypto- + -graphy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Uncountable in its general sense as a field of study or a practice.
Last updated July 22, 2026