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

Examples of codec in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, there are new Bluetooth codecs (which is the software that compresses and encodes digital audio files ready for wireless transmission, then decodes and decompresses at the other end) available hoping to improve this. Simon Lucas, Wired News, 21 Dec. 2025 Confirm your earbuds or headphones support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like LDAC or AptX Adaptive Use a USB-C DAC if your headphones do not support high-res codecs Match your audio gear to your source to avoid compression issues Small swaps can produce big upgrades. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Dec. 2025 The Willen supports just the SBC codec, while the Motion 300 supports AAC, LDAC, and SBC. PC Magazine, 18 Nov. 2025 Each earbud is driven by two balanced armature drivers alongside a 12mm composite dynamic driver and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound with support for LDAC and aptX Lossless audio codecs. Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Codec.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codec. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.

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!