In telecommunication, a code word is an element of a code. Each code word is a sequence of symbols assembled in accordance with the specific rules of the code and assigned a unique meaning (e.g. a Gray code).

A code word is a word or a phrase designed to evoke a pre-determined meaning to certain listeners, while disguising the speaker's true meaning by allowing them to use a word that sounds much more acceptable to an average listener. Code word is implied to be more insidious than a standard rhetorical device by the user's knowing attempt to deceive large groups of people.