- to restrict (a physical quantity) to one of a set of values characterized by quantum numbers
- to limit (a variable) to values that are integral multiples of a basic unit
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
quan•tize
(kwon′tīz),USA pronunciation v.t., -tized, -tiz•ing.
quan′ti•za′tion, n.
- Mathematics, Physicsto restrict (a variable quantity) to discrete values rather than to a continuous set of values.
- Physicsto change the description of (a physical system) from classical to quantum-mechanical, usually resulting in discrete values for observable quantities, as energy or angular momentum.
- quant(um) + -ize 1920–25
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
quantize, quantise /ˈkwɒntaɪz/ vb (transitive)