coding

American  

[koh-ding] / ˈkoʊ dɪŋ /

noun

1. Computers. the act or process of writing code, or the instructions for a program or piece of software.

   There’s a bit of coding left to do, and then we’ll be ready to beta-test.

   He likes to do the software design, but leaves the actual coding to others.

2. the act or process of expressing a message in words, images, sounds, or any other set of symbols or signs; encoding.

   The secret coding of ship messages hindered rescue efforts during the war.

   In advertising, the coding of your message can make or break your marketing strategy.

3. the act or process of categorizing or identifying a set of things by assigning a code to them.

   Using color coding along with the bin labels will increase the sorting productivity and accuracy of mail clerks.

4. Statistics. the act of transforming a random variable into one that is more convenient for certain types of analysis or for the removal of invalid data.

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Etymology

Origin of coding

First recorded in 1865–70 originally used for telegraphy; code + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

The company also recently launched Composer 2, a model that it promoted as offering “frontier-level” coding intelligence.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

The ChatGPT maker said it has four million weekly active users for its AI coding tool, up from three million two weeks ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

SpaceX on Tuesday announced a partnership with AI coding company Cursor and said the alliance comes with an option to buy the startup for $60 billion later this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

In a statement posted to X on Tuesday, SpaceX said it is working with Cursor to create what it said would be the “world’s best coding and knowledge work AI.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

“He said that one of his interns has been working on the coding of the fabric,” Doc said.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste