Standard Lemma guide

personalize

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɜː.sə.nə.laɪz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɜːs.nə.laɪz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈpɝ.sə.nəˌlaɪz/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈpɝs.nəˌlaɪz/
  • Australian: /ˈpɜː.sə.nə.lɑez/
  • Australian: /ˈpɜːs.nə.lɑez/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈpøː.sə.nə.lɑe̯z]
  • New-Zealand: [ˈpøːs.nə.lɑe̯z]
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER1 S AH0 N AH0 L AY2 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To adapt something to the needs or tastes of an individual.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To represent something abstract as a person; to embody.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To imbue something with one's personality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: British, English, Oxford, US, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

make personal or more personal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • personalized service

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: personalise, individualize, individualise

Antonyms: depersonalize

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English personal English personal Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English personalize From personal + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: անհատականացնել (anhatakanacʻnel) — to adapt to an individual
  • Catalan: personalitzar — to adapt to an individual
  • Chinese Mandarin: 個性化 /个性化 (gèxìnghuà) — to adapt to an individual
  • Finnish: personoida — to adapt to an individual
  • French: personnaliser — to adapt to an individual
  • Galician: personalizar — to adapt to an individual
  • German: personalisieren — to adapt to an individual
  • Hungarian: személyre szab — to adapt to an individual
  • Ido: personalizar — to adapt to an individual
  • Italian: personalizzare — to adapt to an individual
  • Māori: whakawhaiaro — to adapt to an individual
  • Polish: personalizować — to adapt to an individual
  • Polish: uosabiać — to adapt to an individual
  • Portuguese: personalizar — to adapt to an individual
  • Russian: персонализи́ровать (personalizírovatʹ) — to adapt to an individual
  • Spanish: personalizar — to adapt to an individual
  • Turkish: kişiselleştirmek — to adapt to an individual
  • Ukrainian: персоналізува́ти (personalizuváty) — to adapt to an individual