internalize

[in-tur-nl-ahyz]

See more synonyms for internalize on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), in·ter·nal·ized, in·ter·nal·iz·ing.

to incorporate (the cultural values, mores, motives, etc., of another or of a group), as through learning, socialization, or identification.
to make subjective or give a subjective character to.
Linguistics. to acquire (a linguistic rule, structure, etc.) as part of one's language competence.

Also especially British, in·ter·nal·ise.

Origin of internalize

First recorded in 1940–45; internal + -ize

Related formsin·ter·nal·i·za·tion, nounqua·si-in·ter·nal·ized, adjectivesem·i-in·ter·nal·ized, adjectiveun·in·ter·nal·ized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for internalize

personalize, embody, incarnate, incorporate, impute, attribute, manifest

Examples from the Web for internalize

Contemporary Examples of internalize

Sadly, some impressionable young listeners will internalize this “advice.”
Is This Country Star the New Wendy Davis?
Matt Lewis
November 8, 2014
It would just be nice if he could internalize that not all government benefits are handouts or are equal.
Obama Misfires in the War on Poverty
Lloyd Green
January 13, 2014
Some couples who have been early to marry and early to divorce may “internalize an unwarranted sense of guilt or shame.”
The Gay Divorce Trap: When Same-Sex Marriage Goes Wrong
Lizzie Crocker
September 30, 2013
To feel shame for the actions of other Jews is to internalize this kind of anti-Semitism.
No Need for Shame
Sahar Segal
July 10, 2012
This too offers lessons—though hopefully not many you need to internalize.
The Decade's 10 Best and Worst Career Moves
Suzanne Kapner
December 21, 2009

Historical Examples of internalize

It was difficult to internalize in an environment both objective and external.
Edgar Saltus: The Man
Marie Saltus

British Dictionary definitions for internalize

internalize

internalise

verb

(tr) psychol sociol to make internal, esp to incorporate within oneself (values, attitudes, etc) through learning or socializationAlso: interiorize Compare introject

Derived Formsinternalization or internalisation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for internalize

1856, American English, from internal + -ize. Related: Internalized; internalizing.

internalize in Medicine

internalize

[ĭn-tûr′nə-līz′]

To make internal, personal, or subjective.
To take in and adopt as an integral part of one's attitudes or beliefs.

Related formsin•ter′nal•i•za′tion (-nə-lĭ-zā′shən) n.