verb
-
To convert data or signals, such as images, text, or sound, to digital form.
-
See more at A/D converter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of digitize
Explanation
When you digitize something, you adapt it into a form that can be read by a computer. Publishers digitize books so they can be read on e-readers, tablets, and smartphones. You can digitize your parents' old photographs by scanning them and then uploading them. And since record companies started to digitize music, that's increasingly how people listen to it — while you may enjoy playing records on an old turntable, you probably listen to new music using an app on your phone or computer. Since 1953, this verb has been used to mean "convert into a sequence of digits," specifically digits a computer can read.
Vocabulary lists containing digitize
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Each specimen can be scanned in about 45 seconds, allowing researchers to digitize entire museum collections far more efficiently than would otherwise be possible.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
Specs can digitize a chess board, provide AR-guided training for shooting basketballs and even highlight the coolant reservoir under the hood of a car, according to videos and photos online.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
For every aspect of a student’s life, there’s a tech company trying to digitize it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
The French retailer said Wednesday that it signed a partnership with artificial-intelligence company Vusion to digitize its hypermarkets and supermarkets in its home country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
Their film collection was gone, save a few pieces that Molly had managed to digitize.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
In an AI-adjusted version, everything is digitized to uncanny perfection.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Its importance remained unnoticed until the library digitized the document.
From Science Daily ● May 17, 2026
The health system digitized vast amounts of data, but the law failed to ensure that providers share that information among themselves and the patient.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
A spokesperson for Cohen told The Times her office is using media to get out the word about unclaimed funds and has digitized the claim system.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
The next morning I wake up to an obnoxious digitized symphony—the alarm on my phone, which, miraculously, held its charge overnight.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Library film preservation specialists spent a week restoring the film reel frame-by-frame and digitizing it.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
Last year, it attained a valuation of $2.96 billion and recently finished two years of digitizing maps and other documents from the state archives in neighboring Zambia, where it hit pay dirt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
Hefner said the foundation was digitizing the images and expressed concern they could be sold or lost in a data leak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
Kaplan, who has a background in performance art and comedy, was in the process of digitizing her video work from graduate school but didn’t finish in time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 26, 2026
Molly had even expressed interest in finally getting around to digitizing their film collection as a pretext to learning how to edit video content for the internet, an interest that Clara had thankfully not questioned.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
