English

Adjective

digital ‎(not comparable)

1. Having to do with digits (fingers or toes); performed with a finger.
2. Property of representing values as discrete, usually binary, numbers rather than a continuous spectrum.
   • 2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:

     Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. […] A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.

   digital computer;  digital clock‎

3. Of or relating to computers or the Information Age.

   Digital payment systems are replacing cash transactions.

Antonyms

• nondigital
• undigital
• (representing discrete values): analog, analogue, continuous

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

digital ‎(countable and uncountable, plural digitals)

1. (finance) A digital option.
2. (uncountable) Digital equipment or technology.

   He moved to digital for the first time, using a Sony camera.

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin digitālis. Doublet of didal, which was inherited.

Adjective

digital m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural digitals)

1. digital

French

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin digitālis. Doublet of dé.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.ʒi.tal/
• Homophones: digitale, digitales

Adjective

digital m ‎(feminine singular digitale, masculine plural digitaux, feminine plural digitales)

1. of or pertaining to fingers or toes
2. digital

Usage notes

digital is occasionally used in French to describe display devices such as TV screens. Its use for other purposes is often criticised, because this use derives from English, and because digital more commonly has the first meaning above. See also numérique

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /digiˈtaːl/
• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

digital ‎(not comparable)

1. (computing) digital
2. (medicine) digital

Declension

Norman

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin digitālis, from digitus ‎(“finger, toe”) + -ālis ‎(“-al”).

Adjective

digital m

1. (Jersey) digital

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin digitalis, via English digital.

Adjective

digital ‎(neuter singular digitalt, definite singular and plural digitale)

1. digital

References

• “digital” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin digitalis, via English digital

Adjective

digital ‎(neuter singular digitalt, definite singular and plural digitale)

1. digital

References

• “digital” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin digitālis. Doublet of dedal, which was inherited.

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /di.ʒi.ˈtaɫ/
• Hyphenation: di‧gi‧tal

Adjective

digital m, f ‎(plural digitais, comparable)

1. digital; having to do with the fingers or toes
2. dealing with discrete values rather than a continuous spectrum of values
3. dealing with the display of numerical values

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from French digital.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.d͡ʒiˈtal/

Adjective

digital m, n ‎(feminine singular digitală, masculine plural digitali, feminine and neuter plural digitale)

1. digital (having to do with fingers or toes)
2. digital (dealing with discrete values rather than a continuous spectrum of values)

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowing from Latin digitālis. Doublet of dedal, which was inherited.

Adjective

digital m, f ‎(plural digitales)

1. digital; having to do with the fingers or toes
2. dealing with discrete values rather than a continuous spectrum of values
3. dealing with the display of numerical values

Noun

digital f ‎(plural digitales)

1. foxglove (plant, flower)

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin digitālis, via English digital.

Adjective

digital (not comparable)

1. digital; in (or using) digital (and electronic) form

Declension

Usage notes

• Circa 2010, the word took on a wider definition, meaning electronic, modern, or binary (having only two values); digitalisering ‎(“digitization”) started to being used not only of signals, information and documents (e.g. digitizing books or patient's journals), but also about enterprises, as a synonym to automation, computerization (e.g. digitizing libraries and hospitals).

Related terms