digitalized

Digitalized is an adjective and a past-tense verb form of digitalize. It describes something that has been made or is capable of operating with digital technology, often through conversion to digital form or through integration into digital systems and workflows. The term is used in contexts ranging from data and media to business processes and public services.

Etymology and scope: The word combines digital, relating to information technology, with the suffix -ize, indicating a transformation. It emerged in English as digital technologies expanded across sectors. In practice, digitalized can refer to two related processes: digitization, the conversion of analog information into digital representations (for example, scanning a paper archive to digital files); and digitalization, the broader adoption and optimization of operations through digital technologies (for example, digitalized customer service or supply chains).

Usage notes: Some writers use digitalize and digitize as near-synonyms, but many distinguish digitize as conversion and digitalize as broader transformation. In American and British English, both forms occur, with regional preferences varying by field.

Examples: A digitalized library holds scanned, searchable copies of its holdings. A company aims to digitalize its operations to enable real-time data analytics.

See also: digitization, digitalization, digitize, digital technology.