quantized

[ kwon-tahyzd ]

adjective
  1. (of a variable quantity) restricted to or expressed in discrete values rather than a continuous set of values: Instead of moving smoothly and continuously around the clock, this second hand snaps to each quantized second position on the dial.Contrary to the scenario offered by some score-writing software, we don’t live in a completely quantized musical world where every note lands precisely on the beat.

  2. Physics. conforming to quantum-mechanical rather than classical theory, usually resulting in discrete values for observable quantities, such as energy or angular momentum: String theory has attracted attention because it provides a quantized description of gravity.

verb
  1. the simple past tense and past participle of quantize.

Origin of quantized

1
First recorded in 1915–20; quantize + -ed2 for the adjective senses; quantize + -ed1 for the verb sense
  • Also especially British, quan·tised .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024