Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    Glossary
A  |  B  |  C  |  D  |  E  |  F  |  G  |  H  |  I  |  J  |  K  |  L  |  M  |  N  |  O  |  P  |  Q  |  R  |  S  |  T  |  U  |  V  |  W  |  X  |  Y  |  Z

public key

Definitions:

  The public part of an asymmetric key pair that is typically used to verify signatures or encrypt data.
Sources:
FIPS 201-3 under Public Key
NIST SP 1800-12b

  A cryptographic key that is used with an asymmetric (public key) cryptographic algorithm and is associated with a private key. The public key is associated with an owner and may be made public. In the case of digital signatures, the public key is used to verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key.
Sources:
FIPS 186-5 under Public key

  A mathematical key that has public availability and that applications use to verify signatures created with its corresponding private key. Depending on the algorithm, public keys can encrypt messages or files that the corresponding private key can decrypt.
Sources:
CNSSI 4009-2015 from CNSSI 1300

  A cryptographic key used with a public key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1 under Public Key from FIPS 140-2

  A cryptographic key used by a public-key (asymmetric) cryptographic algorithm that may be made public.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-152 under Public key

  A cryptographic key that may be made public and is used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm. A public key is associated with a private key.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-56B Rev. 2 under Public key

  The public part of an asymmetric key pair that is used to verify signatures or encrypt data.
Sources:
NIST SP 1800-16B under Public Key from NIST SP 800-63-3
NIST SP 1800-16C under Public Key from NIST SP 800-63-3
NIST SP 1800-16D under Public Key from NIST SP 800-63-3
NIST SP 1800-17b under Public Key
NIST SP 1800-17c under Public Key
NIST SP 800-63-3 under Public Key

  A cryptographic key that is used with an asymmetric (public key) cryptographic algorithm and is associated with a private key. The public key is associated with an owner and may be made public. In the case of digital signatures, the public key is used to verify a digital signature that was signed by the corresponding private key.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-89 under Public key

  A cryptographic key used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. The public key has a corresponding private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used: 1. To verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key, 2. To encrypt keys that can be decrypted using corresponsing private key, or 3. As on of the input values to compute a shared secret during a key agreement transaction.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-57 Part 2 Rev.1 under Public key

  A cryptographic key used with a public-key (asymmetric-key) algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. In an asymmetric (public) key cryptosystem, the public key is associated with a private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used to 1. Verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key, 2. Encrypt data that can be decrypted by the corresponding private key, or 3. Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement process.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-175B Rev. 1 under Public key

  A cryptographic key used with a public-key cryptographic algorithm that is uniquely associated with an entity and that may be made public. In an asymmetric-key (public-key) cryptosystem, the public key has a corresponding private key. The public key may be known by anyone and, depending on the algorithm, may be used, for example, to: 1. Verify a digital signature that was generated using the corresponding private key, 2. Encrypt keys that can be decrypted using the corresponding private key, or 3. Compute a shared secret during a key-agreement transaction.
Sources:
NIST SP 800-57 Part 1 Rev. 5 under Public key

  A cryptographic key used with an asymmetric-key (public-key) cryptographic algorithm that may be made public and is associated with a private key and an entity that is authorized to use that private key. Depending on the algorithm that employs the public key, it may be used to: 1. Verify a digital signature that is signed by the corresponding private key; 2. Encrypt data that can be decrypted by the corresponding private key; or 3. Compute a piece of shared data (i.e., data that is known only by two or more specific entities).
Sources:
NIST SP 800-133 Rev. 2 under Public key