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

Genomic sequencing, which deciphers the entire viral genome, is more ambitious. —Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2025

Here's how China's Mars rover Zhurong finds possible shoreline of ancient Red Planet ocean The presence of lava introduces a significant challenge in deciphering the geological history of the Athabasca Valles system. —Victoria Corless, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025

In December 2023, Benda submitted paperwork to the NHTSA outlining how to decipher its VIN information, which is required by law for companies selling new vehicles in the US. —New Atlas, 22 Jan. 2025

Fans have tried to decipher meaning from Justin and Selena’s random Instagram posts, crafting narratives about the two pining after each other, often based on little more than song lyrics and pictures. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

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