Meanings
plural cryptologies
- uncountableusuallyThe practice of analysing encoded messages, in order to decode them.
Near-synonyms: cryptanalysis, decoding, decrypting, decyphering
Synonyms: cryptanalysis, decoding, decrypting, decyphering
- uncountableusuallySecret or enigmatical language.
But the question of speech-play causes confusion to the slang researcher because this subject borders on family slang, private lingo, secret language, cryptologies, disguised language of children and grown-ups
1991, English Studies
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe practice of analysing encoded messages, in order to decode them.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe science of analyzing and deciphering codes and ciphers and cryptograms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincryptologia
- Ancient Greekκρυπτός“hidden”
- Englishcryptology
From crypto- + -logy, from Ancient Greek κρυπτός (kruptós, “hidden”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”); originally after Latin cryptologia, which is apparently first recorded in an English context.
More words from Ancient Greek, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian криптология
- криптология (kriptologija)practice
Chinese Mandarin 密碼學 /密码学, 密码术
- 密碼學 /密码学 (mìmǎxué)practice
- 密码术 (mìmǎshù)practice
Danish kryptologi
- kryptologipractice
Estonian krüptoloogia
- krüptoloogiapractice
Finnish kryptologia, salakirjoitustiede
- kryptologiastudy
- salakirjoitustiedestudy
- kryptografiapractice
- salakirjoitustaitopractice
- salakielisecret or enigmatical language
French cryptologie
- cryptologiepractice
German Kryptologie
- Kryptologiepractice
Icelandic dulmálsfræði
- dulmálsfræðipractice
Italian crittologia
- crittologiapractice
Japanese 暗号学
- 暗号学 (angōgaku)practice
Lithuanian kriptologija
- kriptologijapractice
Malay kriptologi
- kriptologipractice
Polish kryptologia
- kryptologiapractice
Portuguese criptologia
- criptologiapractice
Russian криптоло́гия
- криптоло́гия (kriptológija)practice
Spanish criptología
- criptologíapractice
Swedish kryptologi, kryptologi
- kryptologistudy
- kryptologipractice
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with cryptology
Cite this entry
cryptology. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryptology
“cryptology.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryptology. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cryptology,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cryptology.
Source: cryptology on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.