computerized

computerized — adjective

1. (of a system, record, or piece of equipment) now run, kept, or made using comput

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

(of a system, record, or piece of equipment) now run, kept, or made using computers, in a job that used to be done with paper, by hand, or by older types of machine.

Example

The hospital switched to a computerized system for keeping patient records last year.

computerized + system / records / database

Tuan was amazed at how quickly the computerized scanner read every barcode in the warehouse.

computerized + machine / scanner / robot

Common collocations
  • computerized system
  • computerized records
  • computerized booking
  • computerized accounts
  • fully computerized
  • highly computerized
Synonyms
  • automated

    broader; the system runs without human help, whether by computer or other machine

  • digitized

    specifically about converting paper records or analogue media into digital form

  • electronic

    very general; just means it uses electronic technology, not necessarily a computer

Antonyms
  • manual

    done by people using their hands or basic tools, without computers

  • paper-based

    kept on paper rather than in computer files

Usage Note

Most often used before a noun (attributive). Pairs strongly with words for procedures, records, and equipment that used to be manual ('system, record, booking, scanner, engine'). The British spelling 'computerised' is equally correct in UK English. Distinguish from 'computerised data' which simply means 'kept on a computer' — adding 'computerized' usually implies a switch from older methods.

Common Mistakes

My grandmother is very computerized.
My grandmother is good with computers.
'computerized' describes systems, machines, or processes, not people.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe modern, technology-driven processes, but each highlights something different. 'Computerized' specifically tells you that a computer now runs the system or makes the records, usually replacing a manual or paper-based way of working. 'Automated' is broader: any process that runs without human input qualifies, whether the controller is a computer, a robot arm, or a mechanical timer. 'Digitized' focuses on conversion — paper documents, photographs, or audio tapes turned into digital files — and does not by itself say that any further processing happens by computer. 'Electronic' is the most general label and simply means that some electronic technology is used; an electronic doorbell is not 'computerized'. Compare: 'a computerized booking system' (a computer handles it), 'an automated factory line' (no people involved), 'digitized old maps' (scanned into files), 'electronic locks on the doors' (uses electronics).

computerized ↗automateddigitizedelectronic ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fully computerized
  • go computerized
  • computerized record-keeping

Prepositions

  • by (a system / company)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Past participle of the verb 'computerize', formed in the mid-twentieth century from the noun 'computer' plus the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (used to mean 'to make into' or 'to put under the control of'). The noun 'computer' itself comes from Latin 'computare' meaning 'to count up' or 'to reckon', from 'com-' ('together') and 'putare' ('to think, calculate'). The adjective spread quickly during the 1960s and 1970s as offices and factories started replacing paper records and mechanical machines with electronic computers.