quantized

[ kwon-tahyzd ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

(of a variable quantity) restricted to or expressed in discrete values rather than a continuous set of values:
Instead of moving smoothly and continuously around the clock, this second hand snaps to each quantized second position on the dial.
Contrary to the scenario offered by some score-writing software, we don’t live in a completely quantized musical world where every note lands precisely on the beat.
Physics. conforming to quantum-mechanical rather than classical theory, usually resulting in discrete values for observable quantities, such as energy or angular momentum:
String theory has attracted attention because it provides a quantized description of gravity.

First recorded in 1915–20; quantize ( def ) + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; quantize ( def ) + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

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