decode

American  

[dee-kohd] / diˈkoʊd /

verb (used with object)

• decodes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• decoded,
  past participle,  past
• decoding
  present participle

1. to translate (data or a message) from a code into the original language or form.

2. to extract meaning from (spoken or written symbols).

3. Television. to unscramble (an electronic signal) so as to provide a video picture for cable subscribers.

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verb (used without object)

• decodes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• decoded,
  past participle,  past
• decoding
  present participle

1. to work at decoding.

decode British  

/ diːˈkəʊd /

verb

1. to convert (a message, text, etc) from code into ordinary language

2. computing to convert (coded characters) from one form to another, as from binary-coded decimals to decimal numbers Compare encode

3. electronics to convert (a coded electrical signal) into normal analogue components

4. to analyse and understand the construction of words and phrases, esp in a foreign language

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• decoder
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• decoding
  present
• decoded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• decode
  simple
• decodes
  simple
• have decoded
  perfect
• has decoded
  perfect
• am decoding
  progressive
• are decoding
  progressive
• is decoding
  progressive
• have been decoding
  perfect progressive
• has been decoding
  perfect progressive

Past

• decoded
  simple
• had decoded
  perfect
• was decoding
  progressive
• were decoding
  progressive
• had been decoding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will decode
  simple
• will have decoded
  perfect
• will be decoding
  progressive
• will have been decoding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of decode

First recorded in 1895–1900; de- + code

Explanation

When you translate a message from symbols or code into language, you decode it. British code breakers worked during World War II to decode Germany's coded messages. You might need to decode a secret message sent by a spy, but some computer scientists also decode the symbols in computer languages into grammatically correct language. Sometimes older people don't understand the lingo that younger people are using — they might ask a grandchild to help them decode lines in a song, for example. When sound engineers translate between analog and digital signals, they also decode.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decode decodes decoded decoding

Ideally, it’s an ongoing relationship with a doctor who can take the time to decode why, for instance, that pain in your toe might be a warning of a serious heart condition.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

Online shopping, says Charlotte, “is something I avoid, especially as I get older — I just don’t have the patience to decode the sizing differences of four different brands selling basically the same shirt.”

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026

A museum curator helped decode the 1984 train timetable.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

She has learned to decode nutrition labels and developed a taste for salads and nuts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

“No, we are different,” she said before laughing and speaking a language not even Ella's translation crystal could decode.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Ms. Allen traces pen names, decodes handwriting and deciphers marginalia in Richmond’s correspondence and books.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

“Karlyn Borysenko infiltrates their meetings, collects their materials, decodes their language, and exposes their ideas,” reads her description of her Substack.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2025

A stray orange cat; a séance in a hostel; a “nearsighted galoot” who decodes cryptic messages from Radio Pyongyang; flashlights that aren’t just flashlights — these bread crumbs guide us to the novel’s denouement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025

Another, called PerturbSci-Kinetics, developed by graduate student Zihan Xu, decodes the genome-wide regulatory network that underlies RNA temporal dynamics by coupling scalable single-cell genomics with high-throughput genetic perturbations, or manipulations that can influence gene function.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2023

This part of the brain, called Wernicke’s area, is the part that “hears” and decodes language.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

On the receiving end, the photonic qubits were decoded with an actively stabilized interferometer containing a phase shifter, allowing the system to operate for extended periods without manual adjustment.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

Scientists said Crinkle had become the first of her species, which is endangered in the wild, to have her complete genetic code decoded.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026

"We have essentially decoded how the body converts movement into stronger bones," said Professor Xu Aimin.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026

The idea that flavor must be earned, decoded and unlocked.

From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2025

The other half remained: How was the RNA “message” decoded into a protein?

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

“I’m all about decoding the rhythms of the music,” she adds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Strengthening the integration between optical hardware and decoding algorithms will be essential for achieving faster and more reliable data retrieval under real-world conditions.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026

In the journal Nature, Microsoft's research arm said Silica was the first glass storage technology that had been demonstrated to be reliable for writing, reading and decoding data.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

It abandoned the hokum that convinced educators that they could teach kids to read through pictures and context clues rather than decoding words.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

She didn’t know how to start decoding this—not that she wanted to solve it or would turn in her solution if she figured it out.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Related Words

• clear up
• figure out
• interpret
• solve
• translate
• unravel
• unscramble
• untangle