digital

digital — adjective

1. relating to a way of storing and processing information using the two numbers 1

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

relating to a way of storing and processing information using the two numbers 1 and 0, which computers and electronic machines can read and work with.

Example

The old vinyl records were converted to a digital format so that fans could listen on their phones.

digital format — stored as binary data

Lakan's microphone converts his singing into a digital signal that streams numbers to the editing software.

digital signal — binary data stream for audio recording

Common collocations
  • digital format
  • digital signal
  • digital data
  • digital file
  • digital recording
Synonyms
  • binary

    more technical; refers specifically to the 1-and-0 system itself, not the broader technology

  • computerized

    focuses on the use of computers rather than the binary method of data storage

Antonyms
  • analog

    uses continuous physical signals (waves) instead of discrete binary numbers

Usage Note

This is the core technical sense. It contrasts with 'analog', which uses continuous physical signals (like grooves on a record) rather than discrete numbers.

Common Mistakes

I saved the file in a numeric format.
I saved the file in a digital format.
'numeric' refers to numbers in general; 'digital' specifically means binary (1-and-0) electronic storage.

2. operated by or connected with electronic signals and modern computing equipment,

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

operated by or connected with electronic signals and modern computing equipment, rather than mechanical or analog systems.

Example

The new digital hearing aid adjusts its volume automatically when the room gets noisy.

Tariro bought a digital thermometer that shows the temperature in just two seconds.

digital + [device] — device with electronic circuits

Common collocations
  • digital camera
  • digital clock
  • digital thermometer
  • digital scale
  • digital device
Synonyms
  • electronic

    broader — covers any device using electric circuits, not just those using binary data

  • computerized

    narrower — implies a built-in computer chip controlling the device

Antonyms
  • analog

    uses continuous physical signals (hands on a clock face, needle on a gauge)

  • mechanical

    uses gears, springs, or levers rather than electronic circuits

Usage Note

Frequently used with device nouns (camera, clock, thermometer, scale). Contrasts with 'analog' or 'mechanical'. Many everyday products now default to digital, so 'digital' is often omitted unless the contrast matters.

3. relating to the online world of computers and the web, especially the activities

3.adjectiveA2
Definition

relating to the online world of computers and the web, especially the activities, services, and media that are part of modern daily life.

Example

Emma runs a small pottery studio in Bristol and uses digital marketing to sell her handmade mugs on Instagram.

digital marketing — online promotion for a small business

The school created a digital library where students can borrow e-books from home.

Common collocations
  • digital age
  • digital world
  • digital marketing
  • digital design
  • digital payment
  • digital content
  • digital native
Synonyms
  • online

    narrower — specifically through the internet; 'digital' can include offline computer activities too

  • virtual

    suggests a simulation of physical reality (virtual meeting); 'digital' is broader and less simulation-focused

  • electronic

    broader — includes any use of electricity, not just internet-connected activities

Antonyms
  • print

    paper-based, as in 'print edition' versus 'digital edition' of a newspaper

  • offline

    not connected to the internet

Usage Note

This is the most common everyday sense. It appears in broad compound nouns such as 'digital world', 'digital age', 'digital native', and 'digital strategy'. The focus is on internet-connected services and culture rather than the underlying binary technology.

Common Mistakes

She runs a digital shop that sells handmade jewelry.
She runs an online shop that sells handmade jewelry.
'digital' describes the broader tech/internet landscape; 'online' is better for a specific web-based store.

4. showing numbers or other information as electronic figures or symbols on a scree

4.adjectiveB1
Definition

showing numbers or other information as electronic figures or symbols on a screen, rather than using a moving pointer or a dial.

Example

The car dashboard has a digital display that shows the speed and fuel level clearly.

digital display — electronic screen readout

On the microwave, a small digital screen shows how many seconds remain for cooking.

Common collocations
  • digital display
  • digital screen
  • digital watch
  • digital clock
  • digital readout
Synonyms
  • numerical

    only about numbers; 'digital' displays can also show symbols, letters, or icons

  • electronic

    broader — a digital display is one type of electronic display

Antonyms
  • analog

    uses a continuous moving pointer or needle (analog watch, analog gauge)

Usage Note

Describes the appearance of a display, not the underlying technology. A 'digital clock' shows numbers; an 'analog clock' has hands. This sense contrasts with sense 1 (binary data) and sense 2 (electronic circuits) by focusing on the visual output format.

5. connected with a person's fingers or toes, or done using a finger, particularly

5.adjectiveC1
Definition

connected with a person's fingers or toes, or done using a finger, particularly in medical or anatomical writing.

Example

The doctor performed a digital examination to check for swelling in the patient's throat.

digital examination — using a finger in a medical check

In anatomy class, the students learned that each hand has five digital bones called phalanges.

digital bones — bones of the fingers

Common collocations
  • digital examination
  • digital reflex
  • digital artery
  • digital bone
Synonyms
  • finger

    everyday word; 'digital' is the technical adjective form

  • manual

    broader — done by hand; 'digital' specifically means by finger

Usage Note

This is the original Latin meaning of 'digital' (from 'digitus' = finger/toe). It is now restricted to medical and anatomical writing. Do not confuse with the modern technology senses — context (doctor, anatomy, hand) makes the meaning clear.

Common Mistakes

The surgeon used a digital tool to check the wound.' (unclear — could mean a computer tool or a finger)
The surgeon performed a digital examination of the wound.
in medical writing, 'digital' paired with 'examination' clearly means 'using a finger'.

digital — noun

Word family

  • digit
    nounB1
  • digitize
    verbB2
  • digitization
    nounB2
  • digitally
    adverbB2
  • digitus
    noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/3

These four words all overlap with sense 3 of 'digital' ('relating to computers and the internet') but differ in scope. 'Electronic' is the broadest — it covers any device that uses electric circuits, from a torch to a supercomputer, and does not specifically imply internet connectivity. 'Online' is the narrowest — it refers only to things accessed through the internet, such as online shopping or an online course, whereas 'digital' includes offline computer-based activities too (a digital photo edit done without internet). 'Virtual' suggests a computer-generated imitation of a physical experience, like a virtual tour or a virtual classroom — it implies simulation rather than the general technology landscape. 'Computerized' focuses on processes that were once done by hand and are now run by computers, such as a computerized inventory system. For example, you would say 'She runs a digital marketing agency' (using all internet-based tools), but 'She opened an online store' (specifically a website for shopping); 'He takes a virtual yoga class' (simulated live-stream), while 'The library is now fully computerized' (the catalog system runs on computers).

electronic ↗online ↗virtual ↗computerized ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • digital age
  • digital world
  • digital technology
  • digital camera
  • digital data
  • digital signal
  • digital media
  • digital content
  • digital device
  • digital file
  • digital edition
  • digital format
  • digital native
  • digital marketing
  • digital transformation

Adverbs

  • fully digital
  • completely digital
  • entirely digital
  • purely digital

Phrases

  • go digital
  • in digital format
  • shift to digital
  • born digital

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'digital' traces back to the Latin 'digitalis', meaning 'relating to a finger or toe', which comes from 'digitus' ('finger' or 'toe'). It entered English through French in the 1400s as a medical term describing fingers. The modern technology meaning grew from the use of 'digit' to mean a numerical unit (the numbers 0 through 9), which itself came from counting on fingers. In the mid-1900s, as computers began working with binary code — represented by the digits 1 and 0 — the word 'digital' was applied to this method of data storage and processing. From there, the meaning expanded to cover all computer-based and electronic technology, eventually becoming the everyday word we now use for everything connected with the internet and digital devices.