pixelated
adjective
pix·e·lat·ed
ˈpik-sə-ˌlā-təd 
of an image
: displayed in such a manner that individual pixels are discernible
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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 pixelated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From the moment a pixelated Gengar and Nidorino faced off in the opening animation of the first Pokémon games on the original Game Boy back in 1996, the Pokémon franchise has been a perennial favorite of kids and adults alike.
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Matt Kamen, Wired News, 25 Jan. 2026
Note the square, almost pixelated brushwork and earthy palette Schjerfbeck adopted from Bastien-Lepage, who taught at the academy where Schjerfbeck took classes.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The Future of Risk and Regulation – Seeing the big picture beyond the pixels
Too often, risk management in banking resembles a pixelated image.
—Michael Abbott, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026
President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has shared pixelated footage on his social media account said to show bodies washed up on a beach on the country's Caribbean coast.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pixelated
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Matt Kamen, Wired News, 25 Jan. 2026
Note the square, almost pixelated brushwork and earthy palette Schjerfbeck adopted from Bastien-Lepage, who taught at the academy where Schjerfbeck took classes.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The Future of Risk and Regulation – Seeing the big picture beyond the pixels
Too often, risk management in banking resembles a pixelated image.
—Michael Abbott, Forbes.com, 14 Jan. 2026
President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has shared pixelated footage on his social media account said to show bodies washed up on a beach on the country's Caribbean coast.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pixelated
Cite this Entry
“Pixelated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pixelated. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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