dekodiert

Dekodiert is a term used in German to indicate that information has undergone the process of decoding, i.e., converted from an encoded or compressed form into a usable representation. It is the past participle of the verb dekodieren and can also function as an adjective.

Etymology and usage: The word derives from de- plus kodieren (to encode). The root code itself comes from the concept of a system of signs or rules. Dekodieren entered German as a loanword from English decode, and is used in technical, scientific and everyday contexts to describe reversing an encoding.

In technology and media: Decoding refers to reversing an encoding process to recover original data. This includes base64 decoding, UTF-8 decoding, and decoding of digital audio and video streams by codecs. In broadcasting, streaming and data storage, devices or software that receive encoded data perform decoding to render playable media or readable information. Decoded content is the form usable by humans or applications after the encoding step has been reversed.

Distinction from encryption: Dekodierung typically means reversing an encoding scheme that does not require a secret key, whereas decryption (Entschlüsselung) reverses encryption and usually depends on cryptographic keys. Some workflows involve both decoding and decrypting, for example when an encrypted stream is first decrypted and then decoded.

Context and nuance: The term can also appear metaphorically, referring to the interpretation or making sense of a message, symbol or data set. The precise meaning depends on the encoding method and the domain, from technical data formats to linguistic or media contexts.