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
Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Robert Graysmith, the real-life political cartoonist who attempted to decode the infamous serial killer's messages and went down numerous rabbit holes for years.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The motion follows a precise encoding scheme that researchers can decode by watching through a microscope.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The White River is a big river with a lot of new places to decode.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 25 Jan. 2026
No one knew how to decode this warping, however, until around the start of the third millennium.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decode
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
The motion follows a precise encoding scheme that researchers can decode by watching through a microscope.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The White River is a big river with a lot of new places to decode.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 25 Jan. 2026
No one knew how to decode this warping, however, until around the start of the third millennium.
—Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 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 30 Jan. 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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