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
While high-end IEMs provide the very best sound quality, they are limited by the tether of their cable and need an external DAC to decode the hi-res music source.
—
Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
After taking a photo of the ice and converting it to grayscale, the researchers trained a computer to decode the message by detecting the position and size of bubbles based on their grayscale value (regions without bubbles are dark gray, while bubbles are almost white).
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2025
Examining and decoding bird calls is becoming an increasingly popular field of study, as scientists like me are discovering that many birds – including mountain chickadees – follow systematic rules to share important information, stringing together syllables like words in a sentence.
—Sofia Marie Haley, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
The Japanese destroyer Harukaze announced the kill in a radio message, which U.S. radio spies in Hawaii intercepted and quickly decoded.
Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, commander of Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, documented the Shark II sinking in a Nov. 27, 1944, memorandum.
—Jeff Langholz, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decode
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Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
After taking a photo of the ice and converting it to grayscale, the researchers trained a computer to decode the message by detecting the position and size of bubbles based on their grayscale value (regions without bubbles are dark gray, while bubbles are almost white).
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2025
Examining and decoding bird calls is becoming an increasingly popular field of study, as scientists like me are discovering that many birds – including mountain chickadees – follow systematic rules to share important information, stringing together syllables like words in a sentence.
—Sofia Marie Haley, The Conversation, 27 May 2025
The Japanese destroyer Harukaze announced the kill in a radio message, which U.S. radio spies in Hawaii intercepted and quickly decoded.
Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, commander of Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet, documented the Shark II sinking in a Nov. 27, 1944, memorandum.
—Jeff Langholz, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025
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 Jun. 2025.
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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