coding

[koh-ding]

noun

1. Computers.,  the act or process of writing code, or the instructions for a program or piece of software.

   There’s a bit of coding left to do, and then we’ll be ready to beta-test.

   He likes to do the software design, but leaves the actual coding to others.

2. the act or process of expressing a message in words, images, sounds, or any other set of symbols or signs; encoding.

   The secret coding of ship messages hindered rescue efforts during the war.

   In advertising, the coding of your message can make or break your marketing strategy.

3. the act or process of categorizing or identifying a set of things by assigning a code to them.

   Using color coding along with the bin labels will increase the sorting productivity and accuracy of mail clerks.

4. Statistics.,  the act of transforming a random variable into one that is more convenient for certain types of analysis or for the removal of invalid data.

Word History and Origins

Origin of coding¹

First recorded in 1865–70 originally used for telegraphy; code + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The model includes new tools such as Deep Think, for projects that require more stringent reasoning; generative user interfaces; and improved “vibe coding” for software developers, among other benefits.

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And they wanted to improve its capacity for thought and reasoning in the interest of building a better personal assistant in coding and other tasks.

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Finally, there is the newest wave of agentic AI applications, including the coding assistant from the start-up Cursor and the legal assistant from Harvey.

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“We have to go back into the Impulse coding to de-bug.”

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"The scrambled plain text was found, but without the coding method or the key. This is a very important distinction," he separately told a news conference in November.

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