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
Investigators decoded the message to mean that Henry should keep Hamilton from testifying against the rapper.
—
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
After retrieving the letters from a box of unmarked documents, three researchers were able to decode the letters to uncover more about the queen’s secrets.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
And so each of us has propensity for either benefit or potential hazard from foods, and so a lot of work is being done to decode all that.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Inspired by the biblical Tower of Babel, players must scale the massive structure inhabited by people who speak fictional languages, decoding the words, gestures and writings to solve puzzles and advance.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for decode
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Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 May 2025
After retrieving the letters from a box of unmarked documents, three researchers were able to decode the letters to uncover more about the queen’s secrets.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
And so each of us has propensity for either benefit or potential hazard from foods, and so a lot of work is being done to decode all that.
—Dana Taylor, USA Today, 8 May 2025
Inspired by the biblical Tower of Babel, players must scale the massive structure inhabited by people who speak fictional languages, decoding the words, gestures and writings to solve puzzles and advance.
—Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 6 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 25 May. 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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