What does computerization mean?
Computerization is the process of converting manual systems, tasks, and organizations into ones operated by computers. The word combines 'computer' with the noun-forming suffix '-ization', which signals a process of transformation. It is most often used in formal, business, governmental, and historical contexts to describe large-scale transitions — for example, the computerization of payroll, banking, medical records, or entire industries that once relied on paper ledgers and human clerks. Beyond the act itself, the term can also denote the resulting condition: a state in which an activity or society depends heavily on computer technology. Related terms such as automation and digitization overlap with it, though each carries its own emphasis: automation stresses machines replacing human labor broadly, while digitization focuses specifically on converting information into digital form. Computerization became widespread in English during the second half of the twentieth century, as businesses and governments adopted mainframes and later personal computers, and it remains a standard way to describe that transformative shift.
nounThe process of converting a system, task, or organization from manual operation to operation by computers; the state of being computer-controlled.
- The act or process of equipping a business, institution, or activity with computers so that tasks previously done manually are performed by them.
- The resulting state in which an activity, industry, or society relies extensively on computer technology.
"The computerization of hospital records dramatically reduced paperwork and errors."
"Full computerization of the library catalogue made searching for books far faster than the old card system ever allowed."
"Critics argued that rapid computerization had outpaced training, leaving many workers struggling to adapt."
The word 'computerization' was coined in the 1960s — meaning it took humanity thousands of years of writing on paper to invent a single word for finally stopping.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of computerization
Computerization derives from 'computer', a word formed from the Latin verb computare, meaning 'to calculate' or 'to reckon', composed of com- ('together') and putare ('to think' or 'to count'). The agent noun 'computer' originally referred to a person who performs calculations before coming to denote calculating machines in the mid-twentieth century. Adding the '-ization' suffix produced a noun describing the process of bringing computers into use, a formation that spread through English during the latter half of the twentieth century alongside the adoption of computing technology. Cognates sharing this Latin root include computation and computing.
How computerization is actually used
Computerization is a formal or neutral term common in business, government, academic, and historical writing. It typically appears with 'of' + a domain (e.g. 'the computerization of banking'). It is uncountable in general use but may take an indefinite article when qualified ('a gradual computerization of services').
Easily confused with computerization
Cybernetization refers to control and communication processes in systems generally, while computerization specifically means introducing computers to replace manual methods.