quantized

American  

[kwon-tahyzd] / ˈkwɒn taɪzd /

especially British, quantised

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.

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verb

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

Etymology

Origin of quantized

First recorded in 1915–20; quantize ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; quantize ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

An international team of researchers has now achieved that goal by demonstrating a quantized transverse drift of light.

From Science Daily • Mar. 1, 2026

The atomic system displayed clear Shapiro steps, which are quantized voltage plateaus used worldwide to calibrate electrical voltage.

From Science Daily • Dec. 23, 2025

Under this theory, spacetime itself would become quantized, which would allow scientists to understand the behavior of large-scale spacetime through a quantum lens.

From Scientific American • Aug. 19, 2023

The song is measured and quantized, but thoroughly obsessional.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2023

While Planck proposed that molecules’ vibrations were quantized, Einstein proposed that light came in little packets of energy called photons.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife