: 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

Examples of codec in a Sentence

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The Fold 8 Ultra also brings support for the APV codec and adds Cine LUT to give cinematic color and tone control directly from your phone. Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Bringing home a current-generation high-resolution speaker with five discrete amplifier channels and LDAC wireless codec support for under $100 is an extraordinary value. Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 16 July 2026 Android users can also take advantage of LDAC for higher-resolution audio, though the codec isn’t natively supported on iPhones. Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 15 July 2026 The iPhone 17 Pro features three 48-megapixel Fusion cameras, offering the equivalent of eight lenses, and pro-level video features like Apple Log 2 (which can capture a wider color gamut in ProRes or HEVC codecs). Todd Spangler, Variety, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for codec

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

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Cite this Entry

“Codec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codec. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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