Standard Lemma guide

decoder

noun · 4 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /dɪˈkəʊdə(ɹ)/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 K OW1 D ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who decodes secret messages

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a machine that converts a coded text into ordinary language

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: machine

4

noun

Meaning 4

the kind of intellectual who converts messages from a code to plain text

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decipherer

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: intellectual, intellect

Narrower terms: cryptanalyst, cryptographer, cryptologist

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 Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English decoder From decode + -er.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: koodin purkaja — A person who decodes secret messages
  • German: Dekodierer — A person who decodes secret messages
  • German: Dekodiererin — A person who decodes secret messages
  • Catalan: descodificador — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Czech: dekodér — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Dutch: decoder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Estonian: dekooder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Finnish: dekooderi — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • French: décodeur — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • German: Dekoder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Greek: αποκωδικοποιητής (apokodikopoiitís) — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Italian: decoder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Italian: decodificatore — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Kashubian: dekòder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Malay: dekoder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Polish: dekoder — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Polish: deszyfrator — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Romanian: decodor — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Spanish: descodificador — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
  • Spanish: decodificador — A device that decodes a scrambled electronic signal e.g. of a satellite television signal
Real reading context

decoder in complete knowledge articles