decode
verb
de·code
(ˌ)dē-ˈkōd 
decoded; decoding; decodes
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
Now, in the journal Nature Neuroscience, a team describes a solution that decodes a person's brain waves to choose which voice their hearing system will amplify.
—
Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
Hannes’s roommate, Gundula (Marlene Burow), uses a primitive nineteen-seventies version of Tony’s 2020 technology to study and decode the behavior of her potted geranium.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Teams can decode tiny movements from previous starts, go over such footage in pregame meetings and use that knowledge to generate tips in that night’s game.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
The show is a culinary guessing game, where bakers must decode and decipher what type of dessert was made after surveying small clues like crumbs and food trails.
—Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decode
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Jon Hamilton, NPR, 14 May 2026
Hannes’s roommate, Gundula (Marlene Burow), uses a primitive nineteen-seventies version of Tony’s 2020 technology to study and decode the behavior of her potted geranium.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Teams can decode tiny movements from previous starts, go over such footage in pregame meetings and use that knowledge to generate tips in that night’s game.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 6 May 2026
The show is a culinary guessing game, where bakers must decode and decipher what type of dessert was made after surveying small clues like crumbs and food trails.
—Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decode
Cite this Entry
“Decode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decode. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decode
verb
de·code
(ˈ)dē-ˈkōd
: to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
decoder
noun
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