decode
v.to translate a secret message or difficult code into plain language you can understand. You can also use it when you finally understand a complicated idea.
v.to convert a coded or encoded message back into its original, intelligible form. Often describes the process of interpreting complex signals or extracting meaning from a specific symbolic system.
“The computer needs a password to decode the hidden files.”
“Historians spent decades trying to decode the ancient symbols carved into the temple walls.”
“While the software can quickly decode the encrypted data, the human analyst must still interpret the underlying intent of the communication.”
The verb is transitive and requires a direct object, such as a message, signal, or text.
From de- + code.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.