Is cryptography the same as encryption?

No. Encryption is one part of cryptography. Cryptography is the wider field that includes encryption and decryption.

Is cryptography an academic word?

Yes, it is common in academic, technical, and business writing. You may also see it in news about security and technology.

How do I use cryptography in a sentence?

You can say, "Cryptography helps protect sensitive information." It often appears with words like data, security, and encryption.

← Dictionary

cryptography

/krɪpˈtɒɡ.rə.fi/

IELTSAcademic

noun

The study and practice of hiding information so only the right people can read it. It is used to protect messages, passwords, and online data.

Cryptography protects online messages.
She studied cryptography at university.
Banks use cryptography to secure data.

Adinary Nuance

Cryptography is the broad field of making information secret or secure. It is more technical than secrecy, and more specific than encryption. Use cryptography when you mean the whole subject, not just one coded message. Encryption is one method inside cryptography.

In other languages

Vietnamese: mật mã học
Spanish: criptografía
Chinese: 密码学
Japanese: 暗号学
Korean: 암호학

Etymology

From Greek krypto- meaning "hidden" and -graphy meaning "writing". The word entered English in the 17th century.

Common phrases

cryptography keymodern cryptographypublic-key cryptographycryptography system

Synonyms

encryption coding ciphering

Frequently asked questions

Is cryptography the same as encryption?: No. Encryption is one part of cryptography. Cryptography is the wider field that includes encryption and decryption.
Is cryptography an academic word?: Yes, it is common in academic, technical, and business writing. You may also see it in news about security and technology.
How do I use cryptography in a sentence?: You can say, "Cryptography helps protect sensitive information." It often appears with words like data, security, and encryption.