Encrypt: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when converting information into a code to prevent unauthorized access most commonly in digital communication and cybersecurity.

• You should encrypt sensitive emails to protect personal information.
• Online transactions are encrypted to keep financial details safe.

Implies converting data into a different format, often for efficiency or compatibility within computer systems, not always for secrecy.

• The video file was encoded to reduce its size.
• URLs are often encoded to handle special characters.

Suggests mixing up or obscuring information such that it becomes hard to interpret, often used in a less formal or technical context.

• The channels were scrambled, so we couldn't watch without a decoder.
• He scrambled his notes before the exam, making them hard to read.

Refers to methods or algorithms for performing encryption or decryption; often viewed in a cryptographic or historical context.

• The ancient message was written in a complex cipher.
• Modern ciphers are essential for secure data exchanges over the internet.