decode

verb

de·​code (ˌ)dē-ˈkōd 

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

a

: decipher sense 3a

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.

Synonyms of decode

• decipher

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

Behind the scenes, the command decodes the hidden address, downloads a remote script and sends it directly to the Mac's Z shell for execution. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Instead of asking shoppers to decode another label on a package, the ducks show them what regenerative agriculture actually looks like in the real world. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

For example, the strength of Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold, which won the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry for decoding protein structures, comes from training the AI system on a narrow, specialized data source collected over decades. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026

The most recent version of the Shield streaming box debuted in 2019, running Android TV with AI upscaling and hardware decoding for almost any type of media. — ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for decode

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• commode
• corrode
• crossroad

Kids Definition

decode

verb

de·​code (ˈ)dē-ˈkōd 

: to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language

decoder noun