personalize

American  

[pur-suh-nl-ahyz] / ˈpɜr sə nlˌaɪz /

especially British, personalise

verb (used with object)

personalized, personalizing

1. to have marked with one's initials, name, or monogram.

   to personalize stationery.

2. to make personal, as by applying a general statement to oneself.

3. to ascribe personal qualities to; personify.

4. to design or tailor to meet an individual's specifications, needs, or preferences.

   a personalized search engine;

   personalized learning.

---

personalize British  

/ ˈpɜːsənəˌlaɪz /

verb

1. to endow with personal or individual qualities or characteristics

2. to mark (stationery, clothing, etc) with a person's initials, name, etc

3. to take (a remark, etc) personally

4. another word for personify

---

Other Word Forms

• personalization noun
• unpersonalized adjective
• unpersonalizing adjective

Etymology

Origin of personalize

First recorded in 1720–30; personal + -ize

Example Sentences

Shake Shack later this year will launch its first loyalty program, integrating across platforms to personalize offers and boost customer engagement.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

One of the ways I’d like to go with your question is the extent to which we personalize nations, and we think that what’s done to the “bad” nation is somehow legitimate.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

"The results could help clinicians personalize heart disease prevention strategies in the future."

From Science Daily • Feb. 4, 2026

One useful feature: You can personalize the list to adjust the scoring and weighting based on matters to you and can compare neighborhoods within a city or in different cities.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

Because we so profoundly personalize success, we miss opportunities to lift others onto the top rung.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• illustrate