decryption

IPA/diːˈkrɪpʃn/
IPA/diːˈkrɪpʃn/

decryption — noun

1. the work of unlocking coded data so its original message can be read

1.nounC1
Definition

the work of unlocking coded data so its original message can be read

Example

Imran finished the decryption before the team read the hidden message.

finish decryption before reading the message

The software started decryption as soon as Ada entered the correct key.

start decryption after entering the key

Common collocations
  • data decryption
  • file decryption
  • phone decryption
  • successful decryption
  • decryption key
Synonyms
  • decoding

    broader and can refer to symbols, signals, or other information, not only protected data

  • deciphering

    suggests slower human effort with something difficult to read

  • code-breaking

    more dramatic and often used when a secret system is defeated

Antonyms
  • encryption

    the process of turning readable information into protected code

Grammar Patterns

decryption of + file/message/phone

start/finish decryption

after decryption

Usage Note

Often used with of to name the thing being unlocked, as in decryption of a file or decryption of a signal. In technical writing it usually refers to the process, not the readable result.

Common Mistakes

The app finished the encryption, so we could read the hidden chat.
The app finished the decryption, so we could read the hidden chat.
encryption hides information, but decryption makes it readable again.
After the key arrived, Mina started to decryption the file.
After the key arrived, Mina started to decrypt the file.
decryption is the noun for the process; the verb is decrypt.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Decryption is the technical noun for turning protected information back into readable form, especially in computing or security work. Decoding is broader: you can decode a barcode, a road sign, or a message in another language, so it does not always involve secrecy. Deciphering often suggests slower human effort with something difficult to read, such as bad handwriting or a damaged note. Code-breaking is more dramatic and usually means defeating a secret system without normal access. In everyday tech writing, software performs decryption after you enter the correct key, while a historian may spend days deciphering an old letter.

decryption ↗decoding ↗deciphering ↗code-breaking

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • after decryption
  • during decryption

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekEnglish

'Decryption' was formed in English from the verb 'decrypt' and the suffix '-ion', which names an act or process. 'Decrypt' itself uses the prefix 'de-' in a reversing sense and the same hidden-writing root seen in 'encrypt' and 'cryptography', ultimately connected to Greek words meaning 'hidden'. The word first belonged to code and security work, then became common in computing for turning protected digital information back into readable text or data.