encoded; encoding; encodes
1
a
: to convert (something, such as a body of information) from one system of communication into another
especially
: to convert (a message) into code
b
: to convey symbolically
the capacity of poetry to encode ideology—
J. D. Niles
J. D. Niles2
: to specify the genetic code for
encoder
noun
Examples of encode in a Sentence
Credit cards are encoded with cardholder information.
a technology that encodes images
Recent Examples on the Web
But the Harbin skull still contains enough of its original proteins to tell a different story: A few of them matched specific proteins from Denisovan bones and teeth, as encoded in Denisovan DNA.
—ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
This is what inequity looks like when it’s encoded in policy: a financial incentive to treat men first, and women later — if at all.
—Christine Brennan, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
The tassels were different colors, different fiber types, different thicknesses—all variables that could encode meaning in different ways.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
The activity of p53 in a cell is regulated by another gene known as MDM2 that encodes a protein that essentially inactivates the p53 protein.
—New Atlas, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for encode
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ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
This is what inequity looks like when it’s encoded in policy: a financial incentive to treat men first, and women later — if at all.
—Christine Brennan, Boston Herald, 31 May 2025
The tassels were different colors, different fiber types, different thicknesses—all variables that could encode meaning in different ways.
—Sam Kean, The Atlantic, 26 May 2025
The activity of p53 in a cell is regulated by another gene known as MDM2 that encodes a protein that essentially inactivates the p53 protein.
—New Atlas, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for encode
Cite this Entry
“Encode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encode. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
encode
verb
en·code
in-ˈkōd 
en-
: to change (as a body of information) from one system of communication into another
especially
: to change (a message) into code
encoder
noun
Medical Definition
encode
transitive verb
en·code
in-ˈkōd, en-
encoded; encoding
: to specify the genetic code for
each nucleotide triplet or codon on the mRNA chain encodes a specific amino acid—J. E. Darnell, Jr.
J. E. Darnell, Jr.Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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