encode

verb

en·​code in-ˈkōd 

en-

encoded; encoding; encodes

transitive verb

1

a

: to convert (something, such as a body of information) from one system of communication into another

especially : to convert (a message) into code

b

: to convey symbolically

… the capacity of poetry to encode ideology …

—J. D. Niles

2

: to specify the genetic code for

encoder noun

Examples of encode in a Sentence

Credit cards are encoded with cardholder information.

a technology that encodes images

Recent Examples on the Web

Waveguides channel the light, modulators encode data, and photodetectors convert incoming optical signals into electrical signals. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

Whether tangent, square root, pi or exponentiation, all these functions can be encoded using only the number 1 and the operator eml(x,y) = exp(x) − ln(y). — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 3 Nov. 2026

Watch for unexplained web addresses, encoded strings or commands that download and immediately execute remote scripts. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

That would likely require the target cells to make the protease, which would involve delivering the gene encoding it to the cells where it’s needed. — ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for encode

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

Kids Definition

encode

verb

en·​code in-ˈkōd 

en-

: to change (as a body of information) from one system of communication into another

especially : to change (a message) into code

encoder noun

Medical Definition

encode

transitive verb

en·​code in-ˈkōd, en- 

encoded; encoding

: to specify the genetic code for

each nucleotide triplet or codon on the mRNA chain encodes a specific amino acid

—J. E. Darnell, Jr.