plaintext

[ pleyn-tekst ]

noun

1. the intelligible original message of a cryptogram, as opposed to the coded or enciphered version.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plaintext¹

First recorded in 1915–20; plain ¹ + text

Example Sentences

It is widely accepted that user passwords should not be stored in 'plaintext' considering the risks of abuse that arise from persons accessing such data.

From BBC

As the Guardian reported, "Yahoo did not encrypt all the security questions it stored, and so some are readable in plaintext. While it may be irritating to have to change a stolen password, it is somewhat worse to have to change a stolen mother's maiden name."

From Salon

Sometimes Elizebeth also worked as a cryptographer, which meant that she was the one coming up with ways of obscuring the plaintext.

From Literature

Mere hours after the secret messages had been delivered to them, Elizebeth and William sent back the plaintext.

From Literature

By turning the rings, you could encrypt each plaintext letter with a different scrambled alphabet.

From Literature