Encrypt
verbBase encrypt · Past encrypted · Past Participle encrypted · Present Participle encrypting · 3rd person encrypts
Definition
1. (verb) To convert information or data into a secret code so that only authorised people can read or access it.
Context Alive
You're sending your passport details to a hotel by email and your friend stops you. She says you shouldn't send personal documents like that because anyone could read them. She tells you to use an app that encrypts your messages so only you and the hotel can see them. You download the app, send the file through it, and feel a lot safer knowing your information is protected.
Meanings
1 meanings 1 To Convert Data into a Secret Code (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about turning readable information into a coded format that only the right person or system can unlock. Imagine you're using a messaging app and you see a small lock icon next to your conversation — that means the app encrypts your messages so nobody except you and the person you're chatting with can read them, not even the company that made the app. This is describing the process of scrambling data to keep it private. You might read that "WhatsApp encrypts all messages end-to-end" meaning nobody in between can see what you write, or someone could say "make sure the file is encrypted before you email it" when sending sensitive documents. Or picture a company storing thousands of customers' credit card numbers — they encrypt that data so that even if hackers break into their system, all they see is meaningless code. The word suggests protection, privacy, and making something unreadable to outsiders.
✏️ The adjective encrypted is probably more common in daily life than the verb: "encrypted messages," "encrypted files," "encrypted connection." The opposite is decrypt — to turn the coded data back into readable form. You'll also hear encryption a lot: "end-to-end encryption" is the phrase most people know from messaging apps.
Common Patterns
Basic Structures
encrypt + noun → to convert specific data into a secret code
The software encrypts your files before uploading them to the cloud.
be encrypted → describes data that is already in coded form — very common as a passive
All messages sent through this app are encrypted.
encrypt + noun + with/using + method → specifies the method or tool used for encryption
The data is encrypted using a 256-bit key.
Common Structures
end-to-end encrypted → only the sender and receiver can read the content — nobody in between
The call is end-to-end encrypted, so nobody can listen in.
fully / heavily encrypted → emphasises strong, thorough encryption
The hard drive is fully encrypted — even the police can't access it.
encrypt and store → to code data and then save it securely
The bank encrypts and stores your password so their staff can't see it either.
Collocations
10 collocationsencrypt data
to convert digital information into a protected format
encrypt messages
to code messages so only the intended reader can see them
encrypt files
to protect files by converting them into unreadable code
encrypt a password
to store a password in a coded format for security
encrypted connection
a secure link between two devices where data is protected
end-to-end encryption
a system where only the sender and receiver can read the content
encrypted email
an email that has been coded so outsiders can't read it
strongly encrypted
protected with a high level of security that is very hard to break
encrypt and decrypt
the two-way process of coding and then unlocking data
encrypt a hard drive
to protect all the data stored on a computer's drive
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
WhatsApp encrypts all messages so only you and the receiver can read them.
WhatsApp codes all messages so nobody except you and the person you're talking to can see them.
2
Make sure you encrypt the file before sending it — it contains personal information.
Be sure to protect the file with a code before emailing it — there's sensitive data inside.
3
The company encrypts all customer passwords so even their own engineers can't see them.
The company converts all user passwords into secret code so not even their staff can access them.
4
His laptop is fully encrypted, so if someone steals it, they can't access anything.
His computer is completely protected with security codes, so a thief wouldn't be able to open any files.
5
The government wants tech companies to stop encrypting messages so they can monitor criminal activity.
The government is pushing tech firms to remove message protection so law enforcement can read conversations.
6
Banks encrypt your card details every time you make an online payment.
Banks convert your card information into a secure code each time you buy something on the internet.
7
The app claims to be encrypted, but security experts say it has serious weaknesses.
The app says it's protected, but cybersecurity professionals have found major flaws in its system.
8
She encrypted the USB drive before travelling so her research data would be safe.
She protected the memory stick with a security code before her trip to keep her work safe.
9
If the data isn't encrypted, hackers can read everything in plain text.
Without security coding, hackers can see all the information as normal, readable text.
10
Most modern browsers show a padlock icon when your connection is encrypted.
Most up-to-date browsers display a lock symbol when your link to the website is secure.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsencode
broader — converting data into any coded format, not always for security
scramble
more informal — emphasises making data unreadable and mixed up
cipher
older and more technical — refers to the method of coding itself
Antonymsdecrypt
to reverse encryption — turning coded data back into readable form
expose
to make information visible and accessible to everyone
reveal
to uncover hidden information — the opposite of keeping it secret