digital

adjective

dig·i·tal | \ ˈdi-jə-tᵊl

Definition of digital

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or utilizing devices constructed or working by the methods or principles of electronics : electronic digital devices/technology also : characterized by electronic and especially computerized technology the digital age In an electronically driven work-place, managers pinpoint information overload as the inescapable downside to … life in the digital world. — David Bottoms

2 : composed of data in the form of especially binary digits (see digit sense 1b) digital images/photos a digital readout a digital broadcast [=a broadcast employing digital communications signals] — compare analog sense 1

3 : providing a readout in numerical digits a digital voltmeter a digital watch/clock

4 : relating to an audio recording method in which sound waves are represented digitally (as on magnetic tape) so that in the recording wow and flutter are eliminated and background noise is reduced

5 : of, relating to, or using calculation by numerical methods or by discrete units

6 : of or relating to the fingers or toes digital dexterity

7 : done with a finger a digital rectal examination

digital

noun

plural digitals

Definition of digital (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : media (such as a photograph) in a digital format This writer spent a frightfully snowy day stumbling around a snow-covered lawn among the downpour of snowflake clusters. Something black and cold became an impromptu netting device to capture digitals of individual snowflakes.— Alan Daugherty

b : digital media as an industry or sector of an industry … radio advertising was up 6.8%, TV advertising was up 9.4%, and digital was up 16.8%. — News Bites US Markets

2 : something (such as a device) characterized or operated by digital technology Unlike analog quartz watches, which had a conventional dial and hands, digitals were totally electronic, with no moving parts at all.— Joe Thompson The analog thermometers usually register from 0ºF to 220ºF and cost about $12; the digitals register from -58ºF to 302ºF and go for around $15.— Dorie Greenspan

3 : a finger or toe … critical ischemia of the digitals of upper and lower limbs …— Nadjib Schahab et al. also : an artery or nerve that supplies the fingers or toes … the doctor reported that ulnar palmar and radial palmar digitals' decreased sensation had a maximum upper extremity impairment of 9 percent … — US Fed News

Other Words from digital More Example Sentences Phrases Containing digital Learn More About digital

Examples of digital in a Sentence

Adjective You can transfer digital images from your camera to your computer. a digital recording of a sound In this new digital age, computers and the Internet are part of our everyday lives.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective There are definitive security concerns surrounding digital currency. — Andrew Newman, Forbes, 4 May 2022 Bitcoin is also the name of the payment network on which this form of digital currency is stored and moved. — New York Times, 3 May 2022 Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, 3 May 2022 The Labor Department, trying to get ahead of the interest in digital currency, issued a warning in March to firms marketing investments in cryptocurrencies to 401(k) plans. — Washington Post, 29 Apr. 2022 The digital currency moves strongly in line with the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100, and is negatively correlated with the dollar. — Joanna Ossinger, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2022 In the mountain town of Aspen, Colorado, the St. Regis hotel is selling ownership shares via a digital currency called Aspen Coin. — NBC News, 24 Apr. 2022 Putin's claims justifying war in Ukraine are baseless, experts say Putin first announced a plan to create a form of digital currency known as the crypto-ruble in 2017, according to Investing.com. — Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2022 In recent years, vinyl LPs have made a comeback, but not at libraries, which now offer digital music services. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'digital.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near digital

digit

digital

digital blackface

Statistics for digital

Last Updated

7 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Digital.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digital. Accessed 16 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for digital

digital

adjective

dig·i·tal | \ ˈdi-jə-tᵊl

Kids Definition of digital

1 : relating to or using calculation directly with digits rather than through measurable physical quantities

2 : of or relating to data in the form of numerical digits digital images digital broadcasting

3 : providing displayed or recorded information in numerical digits from an automatic device a digital watch

digital

adjective

dig·i·tal | \ ˈdij-ət-ᵊl

Medical Definition of digital

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or supplying one or more fingers or toes a digital branch of an artery

2 : done with a finger a digital rectal examination

digital

noun

Medical Definition of digital (Entry 2 of 2)

: a finger or toe … critical ischemia of the digitals of upper and lower limbs …— Nadjib Schahab et al., Journal of Vascular Medicine and Surgery also : an artery or nerve that supplies the fingers or toes … the doctor reported that ulnar palmar and radial palmar digitals' decreased sensation had a maximum upper extremity impairment of 9 percent … — US Fed News