quantized

[ kwon-tahyzd ]

adjective

1. (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.

2. 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.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of quantize.

Word History and Origins

Origin of quantized¹

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

Example Sentences

These researchers found that they could “quantize” classical field theory, restricting fields so that they could only oscillate in discrete amounts known as the “quanta” of the fields.

From Quanta Magazine

It essentially just assumes there exists something called the graviton and that gravity can be quantized.

From Quanta Magazine