pixel

noun

pix·​el ˈpik-səl 

-ˌsel

plural pixels

1

: any of the small discrete elements that together constitute an image (as on a television or digital screen)

… the number of pixels determines how sharp and realistic the image looks.

—Leslie Meredith

2

: any of the detecting elements of a solid-state optical sensor (such as a CCD or CMOS device)

The team used a new CCD detector that has an 8,192 by 8,192 pixel array, which makes it the world's largest astronomical CCD.

—Astronomy

the … CMOS image sensor provides a 9-µm pixel size …

—Mathew Dirjish

Did you know?

Is it pixelated or pixilated?

Pixelated is used to describe digital images in which individual pixels are discernable, as when you look closely at a large photo and can see the tiny dots that make up the image. Pixilated (coined from pixie, a pixie being a cheerful, mischievous sprite) is usually used to describe things considered whimsical, or people who seem dazed or lost in thought. While pixelated is a late 20th century coinage, pixilated has been in use since the mid-19th century.

Examples of pixel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To affordably resolve the vast space between the Sun and the planets, researchers divide the space into large cubes—analogous to two-dimensional pixels in a camera. —JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025

The display area matches the size of a human pupil and achieves a resolution beyond 25,000 pixels per inch (ppi), which is about 150 times denser than most smartphone screens. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025

The 8-mm manual focusing lens has a resolution of 256 × 192 pixels, which can be enhanced to simulate 512 × 384 pixels. —New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025

That’s more than the Vision Pro’s 23-million-pixel setup, though Apple doesn’t specify the per-eye resolution for its headset. —PC Magazine, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

pix + element

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

pixel

noun

pix·​el ˈpik-səl 

-ˌsel

: any of the small elements that together make up an image (as on a television screen) or sensor (as in a camera)

Etymology

from pix, an altered form of pictures, and element