codec

noun

co·​dec ˈkō-ˌdek How to pronounce codec (audio)
: a device or software system that can digitize and often compress an audio or video signal for transmission (as over a telephone line) and convert an incoming signal to audio or video for reception
To permit satellite communication through such a compact antenna, an electronic device called a voice coder-decoder—or codec—translates speech into a digital signal.Discover

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web That makes their earbuds ideal for Apple iOS devices, but the lack of aptX codec may disappoint Android users. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 However, these figures will be impacted depending on whether the user has ANC turned on and the audio codec selected. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 Nvidia itself admits that with optimal settings, Steam Link is still 10 ms in latency behind its own streaming codecs. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 1 Apr. 2023 Studying telephone communications, Hoff and several other researchers saw that digitized voice transmission, then being used between central offices, depended on the use of complex expensive codecs that tied into electromechanical switches. IEEE Spectrum, 8 Oct. 2022 The standard of Bluetooth, though, and the codecs the Era 300 is compatible with, is a secret because … well, because Sonos. Simon Lucas, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2023 Urbanista has used Bluetooth 5.2 and there is support for SBC and AAC codecs. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 Adjust your Bluetooth audio codec. Whitson Gordon, WIRED, 30 Oct. 2022 Like most professional microphones, the beyerdynamic M 70 PRO X has a three-pin XLR connector which enables it to be hooked up to most USB audio interfaces so the sound can be recorded on a computer or even fed live to a SIP or ISDN codec. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

coder + decoder

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of codec was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near codec

Cite this Entry

“Codec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codec. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!