Cipher: meaning, definitions and examples

Can also mean a zero or something of no value, often in a negative context.

• After all his efforts, he was still considered a mere cipher in the company
• The equation resulted in a cipher, providing no useful information

Refers to a system of symbols and rules used for transmitting secret messages or instructions.

• The spies communicated using a secret code
• She wrote a code to unlock the hidden message in the text

Often refers to a short piece of encrypted text, usually in the form of a puzzle or game.

• The newspaper published a cryptogram for readers to solve
• He handed her a cryptogram and smiled, knowing it would take hours to decode

Used in digital security to describe the process of converting information into a secure format that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people.

• The company's data was protected by strong encryption
• She learned about encryption to better understand online privacy

In mathematics, it can refer to the number zero.

• The Roman numeral for zero is a simple cipher.
• In the sum of the equation, the final cipher turned out to be zero.

Used in everyday language, mathematics, and science to denote the number 0.

• The temperature dropped to zero degrees last night.
• He scored zero points in the game.

Commonly used in programming and databases to indicate an empty or non-existent value.

• The function returned a null value because the input was invalid.
• Check the database for null entries in the record.

Used in a literary or old-fashioned sense to mean 'nothing.'

• All our efforts were for naught.
• His words carried naught but empty promises.

This word is used to describe a method of transforming text to make it unreadable to unauthorized people. It can refer to both the algorithm used and the resulting text.

• The spy encoded the message with a complex cipher.
• Without the right cipher, the text looks like gibberish.

This word is used when converting encoded or encrypted data back into its original form. It can be applicable to both technical and non-technical contexts.

• The software can decode the encoded video files.
• He had to decode the secret message to understand the instructions.

This word is used specifically in a security context, referring to converting encrypted data back into its original form. It is often related to digital data and information security.

• The hacker attempted to decrypt the sensitive information.
• Only authorized persons can decrypt the data stored in this database.

This word is used when you're figuring out the meaning of something that has been encoded or written in a way that is meant to be obscure.

• She managed to decipher the ancient manuscript with great effort.
• Can you decipher this code? It looks really complicated.