digital

Borrowed from Latin digitālis, from digitus (“finger, toe”) + -alis (“-al”), equivalent to digit +‎ -al. Doublet of digitalis.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪd͡ʒɪtl̩/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

digital (not comparable)

1. Having to do with digits (fingers or toes); especially, performed with a finger.

   Coordinate terms: dactylo-, fingerlike, toelike

   digital palpation

   digital examination

2. Property of representing values as discrete, often binary, numbers rather than a continuous spectrum.

   digital computer

   digital clock

   • 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.

   • 2017 October, “DIGITAL MULTIMETER M-1000E”, in Elenco‎^[1], page 4:

     This meter is a 3½ digit digital multimeter that is rugged, reliable and convenient to use, while providing all of the accuracy and features needed for any application.

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

   Coordinate term: online

   Near-synonyms: computerized, electronic, digitized, virtual

   Digital payment systems are replacing cash transactions.

• nondigital
• undigital
• (antonym(s) of “representing discrete values”): analog, analogue, continuous

• → Thai: ดิจิทัล (dí-jì-tâl)
• → Persian: دیجیتال (dijitâl)
• → Arabic: رقمي (raqami)

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.

3. Ellipsis of digital watch.
   • 2000, Amy Glasmeier, Manufacturing Time, page 209:

     Initially, traditional watchmakers could not see much future in digitals.

4. (informal, uncountable) Ellipsis of digital art.

   Coordinate term: traditional

5. (music) Any of the keys of a piano or similar instrument.
   • c.1920?, Annie Jessy Gregg Curwen, The Teacher's Guide to Mrs. Curwen's Pianoforte Method (The Child Pianist)

     Beginning with the keyboard, direct attention to the grouping of the black digitals, and show that though at the outer edge of the keyboard the white digitals look as if they were all equally close neighbours, yet, […]

6. (colloquial, humorous) A finger.
   • 1853, Yankee Notions, volume 2, page 137:

     […] turning round as he reached the door, he placed his digitals in close proximity to his proboscis, saying—“I guess there an't anything green about this child!' and left the Professor in utter astonishment […]

   • 1855, North Carolina University Magazine, volume 3, page 23:

     […] with grave complacency wiggles his digitals, and turns away with a scornful smile playing upon his countenance.

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

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [di.ʒiˈtal]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [di.d͡ʒiˈtal]

digital m or f (masculine and feminine plural digitals)

1. digital

• digitalitzar
• digitalització
• digitalment

• “digital”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “digital”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “digital” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “digital” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

• IPA^(key): /diɡiˈtæˀl/

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

1. digital (representing discrete values)
2. digital (of or relating to computers or the Information Age)

• “digital” in Den Danske Ordbog

Borrowed from Latin digitālis. Doublet of dé.

Use in electronics is a literal borrowing from English, through a misinterpretation of the English word digit.

• IPA^(key): /di.ʒi.tal/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: digitale, digitales

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

1. (relational) fingers, toes; digital
2. (Anglicism, sometimes proscribed) digital (not analog)

• 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.

• empreinte digitale

• “digital”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

digital (strong nominative masculine singular digitaler, not comparable)

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

• “digital” in Duden online
• “digital” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

From Dutch digitaal, from Latin digitālis or Middle French digital, itself from Latin.

• (standard) IPA^(key): [diˈɡital]
• (nonstandard) IPA^(key): [diˈd͡ʒital]
• Hyphenation: di‧gi‧tal

digital (comparative lebih digital, superlative paling digital)

1. digital

   Antonym: analog

   1. (surveying) property of representing values as discrete, often binary, numbers rather than a continuous spectrum
   2. (computing) of or relating to computers or the Information Age

• “digital” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

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

digital m

1. (Jersey) digital

From Latin digitalis, via English digital.

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

1. digital

• digitalisere
• digitalkamera

• “digital” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Latin digitalis, via English digital.

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

1. digital

• digitalisere
• digitalkamera

• “digital” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Borrowed from Latin digitālis. By surface analysis, dígito +‎ -al Doublet of dedal, which was inherited.

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw
• Hyphenation: di‧gi‧tal

digital m or f (plural digitais)

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

• digitalizar
• digitalização

digital f (plural digitais)

1. (Brazil) ellipsis of impressão digital

• диӂитал (digital) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling

Borrowed from French digital. By surface analysis, digit +‎ -al.

• IPA^(key): /di.d͡ʒiˈtal/
• Rhymes: -al
• Hyphenation: di‧gi‧tal

digital m or 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)

• digitaliza

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

• IPA^(key): /dixiˈtal/ [d̪i.xiˈt̪al]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: di‧gi‧tal

digital m or f (masculine and feminine plural digitales)

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

digital f (plural digitales)

1. foxglove (plant, flower)

• “digital”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

From Latin digitālis, via English digital.

digital (not comparable)

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

• 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).

• digitalisera
• digitalisering (“digitalization”)

• digital in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• digital in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)