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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 pixilated in a Sentence
a pixilated waitress who couldn't seem to get anything straight
Recent Examples on the Web
In One Kind of Story, for example, Box pairs a large, pixilated self-portrait with photographs of her female family members in the periphery.
—
Shantay Robinson, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
With 30 Disney characters and tons of interactions, the pixilated present keeps them entertained on those impossibly long work days.
—Savannah Smith, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Offering feedback cultivates a supportive environment that encourages employee growth, reduces misunderstandings, and ultimately boosts productivity—each of which can be even more complex and complicated to achieve through a pixilated screen.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
Williams reimagined the print, introduced by the French Maison in 1889, with a pixilated twist for his first collection, appearing on an assortment of lengthy overcoats, matching suits, and one stylish collarless tapestry jacket.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 June 2023
Behind them, a scrim angled up to the sky played what appeared to be heavily pixilated clouds and flames.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2016
The bomb is in fact a functioning alarm clock dressed up to look like a science-fictional nuclear popper (alas, there are no pixilated Light-Brite cartoon characters…), with the innards encased in a translucent red plastic case.
—Rob Beschizza, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2007
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Shantay Robinson, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
With 30 Disney characters and tons of interactions, the pixilated present keeps them entertained on those impossibly long work days.
—Savannah Smith, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
Offering feedback cultivates a supportive environment that encourages employee growth, reduces misunderstandings, and ultimately boosts productivity—each of which can be even more complex and complicated to achieve through a pixilated screen.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2023
Williams reimagined the print, introduced by the French Maison in 1889, with a pixilated twist for his first collection, appearing on an assortment of lengthy overcoats, matching suits, and one stylish collarless tapestry jacket.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 21 June 2023
Behind them, a scrim angled up to the sky played what appeared to be heavily pixilated clouds and flames.
—Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2016
The bomb is in fact a functioning alarm clock dressed up to look like a science-fictional nuclear popper (alas, there are no pixilated Light-Brite cartoon characters…), with the innards encased in a translucent red plastic case.
—Rob Beschizza, WIRED, 5 Feb. 2007
Cite this Entry
“Pixilated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pixilated. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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