decode

verb

de·​code (ˌ)dē-ˈkōd How to pronounce decode (audio)
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
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 In many public schools, kids learn to read by guessing words using context clues, rather than by decoding the sounds of letters. Emma Green, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Tokenized words ready for decoding and display: 63112 23456 34567 29813 56789 23456 67890 Please go ahead and convert the tokens into their respective words. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 After saving the girls from being murdered on the subway, Cassie needs to decode her own traumatic past while keeping her moody new charges safe from this mysterious villain. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Dyslexia, a neurobiological disorder characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, strikes as many as one in five people. Ray Ravaglia, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Pregnancy can be an extremely stressful experience, and people who don’t take the time and effort to decode their internal feelings and seek ways to behave well tend to behave poorly, lashing out instead of coping with their own vulnerability. Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 29 Feb. 2024 Artificial intelligence has revealed the first nearly complete passages to be decoded from the charred, brittle Herculaneum scrolls. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 Mysterious messages found in the pocket of an antique dress have finally been decoded, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 That said, scientists have long tried to decode the profile of a typical conspiracist. Keith Kloor, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decode.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of decode was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near decode

Cite this Entry

“Decode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decode. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

decode

verb
de·​code (ˈ)dē-ˈkōd How to pronounce decode (audio)
: to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language
decoder noun

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