encode

American  

[en-kohd] / ɛnˈkoʊd /

verb (used with object)

encoded, encoding

1. to convert (a message, information, etc.) into code.

---

encode British  

/ ɪnˈkəʊd /

verb

1. to convert (a message) from plain text into code

2. computing to convert (characters and symbols) into a digital form as a series of impulses Compare decode

3. to convert (an electrical signal) into a form suitable for transmission

4. to convert (a nerve signal) into a form that can be received by the brain

5. to use (a word, phrase, etc, esp of a foreign language) in the construction appropriate to it in that language

---

encode Scientific  

/ ĕn-kōd′ /

1. To specify the genetic code for the synthesis of a protein molecule or a part of a protein molecule.

---

Other Word Forms

• encodable
  adjective
• encodement
  noun
• encoder
  noun
• misencode
  verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of encode

First recorded in 1930–35; en- ¹ + code

Explanation

To encode something is to put it into a coded form. During World War II, countries would encode messages so that if they were intercepted, their enemies couldn't understand them. There are various reasons why information might need to be written in code: spies and secret agents need to encode messages so that only people who know the code can decipher their meanings. Computer languages are also thought of as codes, and when you convert information into one of these languages, you also encode it — although this modern meaning is usually shortened to the verb code.

Example Sentences

“They reflect a broader pattern: companies making rushed public commitments only after harm has occurred,” said Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at Encode AI, a youth-led activist coalition advocating for AI safety.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2025

Schlage: Schlage’s new Encode Plus door lock is the company’s first Thread-enabled product and is slated for release this spring.

From The Verge • Mar. 18, 2022

This video produced by Schlage shows the Encode Plus in action.

From The Verge • Jan. 4, 2022

For perspective, let’s be clear that even Birney himself was chagrined by the media coverage in the days after the release of the Encode report last September.

From Forbes • Feb. 25, 2013

The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Project, nicknamed Encode, is the most comprehensive effort to make sense of the totality of the 3 billion nucleotides that are packed into our cells.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 6, 2012