one-time pad

noun

A form of encryption where each bit or character from the plaintext is encrypted by a modular addition with a bit or character from a secret random key (or pad) of the same length as the plaintext.

“One-time pads have been proven to be impossible to crack if used correctly.”

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Meanings

nounone-time pad (plural one-time pads)

plural one-time pads

  1. computingA form of encryption where each bit or character from the plaintext is encrypted by a modular addition with a bit or character from a secret random key (or pad) of the same length as the plaintext.

    One-time pads have been proven to be impossible to crack if used correctly.

Cite this entry
APA

one-time pad. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one-time%20pad

MLA

“one-time pad.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one-time%20pad. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “one-time pad,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/one-time%20pad.

Source: one-time pad on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.