decode

verb

de·​code (ˌ)dē-ˈkōd How to pronounce decode (audio)
decoded; decoding; decodes

transitive verb

1
a
: to convert (something, such as a coded message) into intelligible form
b
: to recognize and interpret (an electronic signal)
2
b
: to discover the underlying meaning of
decode the play's imagery

Did you know?

To decode is to take out of code and put into understandable language. (Its opposite is encode, "to put into coded form".) But dreams may sometimes also be decoded; psychologists often try to decode the images of their patients' dreams so as to understand the emotions behind them. And readers must often decode what a novel or story or poem is telling them, which may require two or three readings. Decipher is often a synonym, though we now use it when talking about reading difficult handwriting.

Examples of decode in a Sentence

Readers can easily decode the novel's imagery. I'm trying to decode the expression on her face. The box decodes the digital signal for your CD player.
Recent Examples on the Web As Gamache races to decode an unsettling break-in, a cryptic note, and a hit-and-run, a massive threat lurks. Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2024 But decoding the bird vocalizations is another matter. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 The first to make major progress on decoding the Rosetta Stone was an English physicist named Thomas Young. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 18 Sep. 2024 Yet, in the process of eliminating human error and decoding complex probabilities in foreign exchange trading, these systems have introduced new uncertainties of their own—uncertainties too intricate for human comprehension. Dr. Mithu Storoni, TIME, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decode 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decode.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of decode was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near decode

Cite this Entry

“Decode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decode. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

decode

verb
de·​code (ˈ)dē-ˈkōd How to pronounce decode (audio)
: to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
decoder noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decode

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