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

Typically, to the average viewer, this won't make any noticeable difference, but there are more pixels and a slightly finer picture produced in 4K viewing as opposed to 4K UHD. —Alexander Cox, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025

Simply looking harder at pixels will no longer be adequate. —Siwei Lyu, The Conversation, 26 Dec. 2025

In one second of high-definition video, millions of pixels are changing. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 20 Dec. 2025

The Rodents of Unusual Size that attack Westley in a swamp work because they are played by small men in rodent suits, rather than coolly conjured from pixels; their deliberate artifice is the thrill, and Reiner provided the voice for their hideous snorts. —Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 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