encoded; encoding; encodes
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
J. D. Niles2
: 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
Ours is an economy built from entangled qubits, or quantum bits — the foundation of technologies that have changed how the world sends, stores, protects and processes the information encoding nearly every inch of our lives.
—David Awschalom, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
It was previously thought that encoding a place cell would take multiple action potentials, via Hebbian learning, which would require the animal to explore the same spot multiple times.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Quantum computers encode information in qubits, described by IBM as the equivalent in a way of the traditional bit used in old-fashioned computers to encode data in binary.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Bureaucracy encoded in software does not bend.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encode
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David Awschalom, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
It was previously thought that encoding a place cell would take multiple action potentials, via Hebbian learning, which would require the animal to explore the same spot multiple times.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Quantum computers encode information in qubits, described by IBM as the equivalent in a way of the traditional bit used in old-fashioned computers to encode data in binary.
—Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Bureaucracy encoded in software does not bend.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for encode
Cite this Entry
“Encode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encode. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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.
J. E. Darnell, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
