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
This initial data collection phase allowed researchers to begin decoding her thoughts.
—
Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2025
The system begins decoding brain signals and outputting speech within a second of the patient attempting to speak; that's down from 8 seconds in a previous study the team conducted in 2023.
—New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2025
Not just for mattresses or melatonin, but for devices that promise to decode our dreams, coach us into REM, and deliver the kind of rest that our grandparents took for granted.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Inspector Morse had a passion for crosswords; Lord Peter Wimsey decoded ciphers.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decode
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Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 2 Apr. 2025
The system begins decoding brain signals and outputting speech within a second of the patient attempting to speak; that's down from 8 seconds in a previous study the team conducted in 2023.
—New Atlas, 1 Apr. 2025
Not just for mattresses or melatonin, but for devices that promise to decode our dreams, coach us into REM, and deliver the kind of rest that our grandparents took for granted.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Inspector Morse had a passion for crosswords; Lord Peter Wimsey decoded ciphers.
—Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 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 20 Apr. 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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