digital

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɪd͡ʒɪtl̩/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

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.

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.

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.

3. Short for digital watch.
   • 2000, Amy Glasmeier, Manufacturing Time, page 209:

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

4. (informal, uncountable) Short for 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.

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

digital m or f (masculine and feminine plural digitals)

1. digital

Further reading

• “digital” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /diɡiˈtæˀl/

Adjective

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)

References

• “digital” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin digitālis. Doublet of dé.

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.ʒi.tal/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: digitale, digitales

Adjective

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

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

Further reading

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

digital (strong nominative masculine singular digitaler, not comparable)

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

Further reading

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

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

digital

1. digital

   Antonym: analog

   1. Property of representing values as discrete, often binary, numbers rather than a continuous spectrum.
   2. Of or relating to computers or the Information Age.

Further reading

• “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.

Etymology

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

Adjective

digital m

1. (Jersey) digital

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.

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.

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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

Noun

digital f (plural digitais)

1. (Brazil) Ellipsis of impressão digital.

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

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

Noun

digital f (plural digitales)

1. foxglove (plant, flower)

Further reading

• “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], 2024 December 10

Etymology

From Latin digitālis, via English digital.

Adjective

digital (not (comparable))

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

References

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