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

The attackers tweak color values in certain pixels, especially in the red channel, to embed pieces of shellcode. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Dec. 2025

When the pixels were poor and the screens were worse, these over-the-top cartoony physical traits were once needed to differentiate character models. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025

Despite that galaxy appearing smudged over just a handful of pixels, astronomers are still able to discern something about the supernova’s galactic environment. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 Dec. 2025

Progress stayed slow until December 2022, when Linnander built a prototype consisting of just one pixel activated by a diode laser. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 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