digitalise
gb/dɪd͡ʒɪtəlɪs/ us/dɪd͡ʒɪtəlɪs/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
technical
C1
action
1
convert into digital form
To change something so it becomes a digital file.
Usage pattern:
digitalise [documents/photos/records/data]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse digitalise (a spelling) with digitise; both are used in UK English, while US English usually uses digitalize.
Synonyms
digitise (Common alternative (especially in UK English) for converting something to digital form.)
|
digitalize (US-preferred spelling; same meaning.)
|
convert (More general; does not specifically mean ‘to digital’ unless stated.)
Antonyms
print (Opposite direction for documents: creating a paper copy rather than a digital one.)
Collocations
digitalise records
|digitalise documents
|digitalise archives
|digitalise photos
|digitalise maps
|digitalise paperwork
|digitalise content
|digitalise patient records
|digitalise historical documents
|digitalise a collection
Themes
technology
|media
|computing
Examples
- The library is working to digitalise its newspaper archives.
- We digitalised the old photos so the family could share them online.
- The company hired a team to digitalise thousands of paper records.
Learner examples
- I want to digitalise my documents.
- They digitalised the photos.
Verb
business
C1
process
2
make an organisation more digital
To change how something works by using digital technology.
Usage pattern:
digitalise [a business/department/service/process]
Common mistake:
Digitalise is about using digital tech in processes; it doesn’t always mean simply scanning documents (that is often digitise/digitalise meaning 1).
Synonyms
modernise (Broader; can include non-digital changes as well.)
|
automate (Focuses on making tasks automatic; digitalisation may include automation but is wider.)
|
computerise (Older term; suggests introducing computers, not necessarily broader digital transformation.)
Antonyms
manual (Describes doing tasks by hand or with paper-based systems instead of digitally.)
Collocations
digitalise a business
|digitalise services
|digitalise operations
|digitalise a workflow
|digitalise processes
|digitalise customer service
|digitalise government services
|digitalise the supply chain
|digitalise payments
|digitalise internal systems
Themes
business
|technology
|work
Examples
- The bank plans to digitalise its loan application process.
- During the pandemic, many clinics quickly digitalised appointment booking.
- They digitalised payroll to reduce errors and speed up payments.
Learner examples
- The company wants to digitalise its services.
Verb
technical
C2
action
3
convert a signal into digital data
To change a sound or signal into digital data.
Usage pattern:
digitalise [a signal/sound/recording]
Common mistake:
This technical sense is narrower than general ‘make digital’; it specifically refers to signals and data conversion.
Synonyms
digitise (Often used for this technical conversion as well.)
|
sample (Technical term; refers to taking discrete measurements as part of digital conversion.)
Antonyms
playback (Not a strict opposite, but refers to outputting stored audio rather than converting it to data.)
Collocations
digitalise a signal
|digitalise audio
|digitalise sound
|digitalise a recording
|digitalise sensor data
|digitalise analogue input
|digitalise an output
|digitalise measurements
Themes
technology
|computing
|audio
Examples
- The device digitalises the microphone signal before processing it.
- We need to digitalise the analogue recording to edit it on a computer.
- The converter digitalised the sensor output at a higher sampling rate.
Grammar
Dictionary form
digitalise
IPA
GB/dɪd͡ʒɪtəlɪs/
US/dɪd͡ʒɪtəlɪs/
Syllables & stress
di - git - al - ise (4 syllables)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: digitalise
- 3rd Person Singular: digitalises
- Present Participle: digitalising
- Past: digitalised
- Past Participle: digitalised
Word family
Forms
digitalises
verb
digitalising
verb
digitalised
verb
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
non-digital
adjective
analogue
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
digitisation
noun
digitiser
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.