noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK:/dɪˈkəʊd/
UK:/diːˈkəʊd/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -əʊd
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 K OW1 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A product of decoding
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To convert from an encrypted form to plain text.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The cryptographer decoded the secret message and sent the result to the officer.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: decipher, decrypt, uncode
Antonyms: encode, encrypt
4
verb
Meaning 4
To figure out something difficult to interpret.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I finally managed to decode the nearly illegible doctor's prescription.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
convert code into ordinary language
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: decrypt, decipher
Antonyms: encode
Broader terms: rewrite
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h1 Proto-Indo-European *déh1 Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- English code English decode From de- + code.
Across languages
Translations
41 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
فك تشفير
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Azerbaijani:
kodsuzlaşdırmaq
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Catalan:
descodificar
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Chinese Mandarin:
解碼 /解码
(jiěmǎ)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Czech:
rozšifrovat
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Czech:
dekódovat
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Danish:
afkode
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Dutch:
ontcijferen
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Esperanto:
malkodi
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Finnish:
purkaa koodaus
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Finnish:
avata
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Finnish:
dekoodata
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
French:
décoder
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
German:
decodieren
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Greek:
αποκωδικοποιώ
(apokodikopoió)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Greek:
αποκωδικογραφώ
(apokodikografó)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Greek:
αποκρυπτογραφώ
(apokryptografó)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Hungarian:
dekódol
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Hungarian:
megfejt
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Italian:
decodificare
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Japanese:
解読する
(kaidoku suru)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Māori:
wetewaehere
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Portuguese:
descodificar
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Portuguese:
decodificar
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Romanian:
decodifica
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Russian:
декоди́ровать
(dekodírovatʹ)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Russian:
раскоди́ровать
(raskodírovatʹ)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Russian:
расшифро́вывать
(rasšifróvyvatʹ)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Russian:
расшифрова́ть
(rasšifrovátʹ)
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Spanish:
decodificar
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Spanish:
descodificar
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Swedish:
avkoda
— to convert from an encrypted form to plain text
Finnish:
tulkita
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Greek:
αποκρυπτογραφώ
(apokryptografó)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Portuguese:
descodificar
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Russian:
расшифро́вывать
(rasšifróvyvatʹ)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Russian:
расшифрова́ть
(rasšifrovátʹ)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Russian:
переводи́ть
(perevodítʹ)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Russian:
перевести́
(perevestí)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Spanish:
traducir
— to figure out something difficult to interpret
Ottoman Turkish:
اوقومق
(okumak)
— to figure out something difficult to interpret