Coded

Coded is a social media slang term used to refer to someone or something that has stereotypical or shared traits.

For example, if someone shares traits with the fictional character Pikachu, then they’re “Pikachu coded.”

Where does the term Coded originate from?

The term coded actually originates from a conversation on Tumblr about the animated series Stephen Universe. In 2015, a conversation began about characters in Stephen Universe being “racially coded” despite the fact that they’re meant to be asexual and nonracial since the characters are from outer space.

The conversation swirling focused on the character Garnet being “Black coded,” which led to widespread use of the term. Since then the word “coded” has been used in a number of examples and situations. Things or persons can be “femme coded,” “Mr. Bean coded,” or “Trump coded” depending on the traits being discussed or references.