To encode means to convert information from one form into another, especially into a coded or symbolic form. When you encode a message, you're translating it into a different system that others might need a key to understand.

In computing, encoding happens constantly. Your computer encodes every letter you type into patterns of ones and zeros that the machine can process. When you save a photo, the computer encodes the colors and shapes into digital data. MP3 files encode music into compressed data that takes up less space on your device.

Encoding doesn't have to be digital. During World War II, military operators encoded secret messages using special machines and codebooks, transforming plain English into scrambled text that enemy forces couldn't read. Even Morse code is a form of encoding: it converts letters into patterns of dots and dashes that can be tapped out or flashed with light.

Your brain encodes information too. When you study vocabulary words, your brain encodes them into memory by forming new neural connections. The better you encode something through practice and understanding, the easier it becomes to retrieve it later.

The opposite of encode is decode, which means to convert encoded information back into its original, understandable form.