decoding

American

[dee-koh-ding] / diˈkoʊ dɪŋ /

noun

the act, process, or result of extracting meaning or usable information, as from a code, written or spoken symbols, or an electronic signal.

The device that performs the decoding is called a digital to analog converter.
Recent decodings of the hieroglyphs at Palenque refer to dates beyond the end of the Mayan calendar.

adjective

relating to the process of extracting meaning or usable information, as from a code or an electronic signal.

The decoding algorithm will have to discern a valid signal from the noise.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

decodings

plural

Etymology

Origin of decoding

First recorded in 1895–1900; decod(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; decod(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

decoding decodings

Autistic people of all genders often struggle with nuances of social communication like decoding nonverbal cues, identifying shifts in tone or asking reciprocal questions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Exxon’s algae work was done in conjunction with Synthetic Genomics, a company founded by Craig Venter, a pioneer in decoding the human genome, that later operated under the name Viridos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

"In addition, neural network synchronous decoding reduced the need for complex measurements and step-by-step reconstruction, supporting more efficient readout and decoding. This could enable a practical route toward high-capacity, high-throughput holographic data storage."

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

And as I’m watching her lips, working at decoding her words, she adds, “I was a little worried.”

From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen

The documents, known as the "Magic intercepts," are decodings of the secret messages of 33 other nations, including France, Denmark, Mexico and the Netherlands.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023