decipher

verb

de·​ci·​pher dē-ˈsī-fər 

deciphered; deciphering; deciphers

transitive verb

1

: decode sense 1a

decipher a secret message

2

obsolete : depict

with her majesty's name deciphered in gold letters

—Jonathan Swift

3

a

: to make out the meaning of despite indistinctness or obscurity

trying to decipher her handwriting

b

: to interpret the meaning of

decipher the poem

decipherable

dē-ˈsī-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

decipherer

dē-ˈsī-fər-ər 

noun

decipherment

dē-ˈsī-fər-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• break
• crack
• decode
• decrypt

Examples of decipher in a Sentence

I couldn't decipher his sloppy handwriting.

we deciphered the hidden message to find out when we were supposed to meet

Recent Examples on the Web

This is where unified customer/retailer data will play a big role — deciphering behavior drivers to find more customers. —Lauren Parker, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025

In deciphering sagas of eons past, astronomers find few examples more intriguing than Messier 67, or M67, which is a large, loosely bound group of sun-like stars dwelling in the outskirts of the Milky Way, our home galaxy. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 15 Jan. 2025

Meet America's sleuths searching for a crypto-millionaire’s hidden treasure Since November, legions of amateur treasure hunters have been racing to decipher clues. —Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025

Recent advancements in deciphering spam through AI have led to improvements, and there is potential for significant spam reduction in the near future. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

decipher

verb

de·​ci·​pher di-ˈsī-fər 

1

: to convert into understandable form

especially : decode

2

: to make out the meaning of despite lack of clearness

decipher sloppy handwriting

decipherable

-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

decipherment

-fər-mənt 

noun