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

Your phone receives instant notifications, and the option to view your visitor in real time with a 135 degree, wide-angle lens that shows you your bird friends in 1,080 pixels. —Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026

Even the turn signals are amber pixels. —Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 4 Feb. 2026

Fractal compression exploits this principle directly, representing images as systems of iterated functions rather than grids of pixels. —Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

But while some video AI models try to predict pixels frame-by-frame, LeCun’s work is designed to function at a higher level of abstraction to better correspond to objects and concepts. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026

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