- in computer graphics and digital photography, to cause (an image) to break up into pixels, as by overenlarging the image: When enlarging a photograph, first increase the resolution to avoid pixelating it.
- to blur (parts of a digital image) by creating unclear, pixel-like patches, for purposes of censorship or to maintain the anonymity of the subject: Police have asked the media to pixelate the faces of the men who were taken into custody.
- (of a computer graphic or other digital image) to break up into visible pixels: We tried to watch the old, scratched DVD, but the image pixelated before our eyes.
- to blur (a video image) by overlaying it with a grid of squares, usually to disguise the identity of a person
