personalize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to have marked with one's initials, name, or monogram.
to personalize stationery.
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to make personal, as by applying a general statement to oneself.
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to ascribe personal qualities to; personify.
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to design or tailor to meet an individual's specifications, needs, or preferences.
a personalized search engine;
personalized learning.
verb
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to endow with personal or individual qualities or characteristics
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to mark (stationery, clothing, etc) with a person's initials, name, etc
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to take (a remark, etc) personally
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another word for personify
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has personalizedperfect 3rd person singular
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have personalizedperfect
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has been personalizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are personalizingprogressive
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is personalizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am personalizingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been personalizingperfect progressive
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personalizessingular 3rd person
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personalizingparticiple
Past
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had personalizedperfect
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had been personalizingperfect progressive
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were personalizingprogressive plural
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was personalizingprogressive singular
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personalizedparticiple
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personalizedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of personalize
Explanation
To personalize is to design something (or change it) so it's distinctly suited for one specific individual. You can personalize your locker by taping up family photos, or personalize your water bottle by writing your name on it in permanent marker. The verb personalize is often used to mean "make to meet your specific requirements," so a hotel might personalize your visit by leaving a note with chocolates on your pillow, or a barista might personalize your latte with a design on top that's specially made for you. You can also personalize things by putting a person's name or initials on them: "I bought letter patches so we can personalize our backpacks."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We and others have developed technology that could be used to both personalize and deliver this intervention in a clinical setting using mobile sensors, like smartphone video and a 'smart shoe'," Uhlrich said.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Target-date retirement funds are a reasonable default, Bogardus said, but they “can also cause investors to miss opportunities to personalize their strategy around their specific income needs as retirement approaches.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
The struggles of workers are reflected in the photographs of bikes by Fields Harrington—which are portraits of sorts of the delivery drivers who personalize their rides—as well as the video installation by Kenneth Tam.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
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
This tendency to personalize is, as we’ll see, a characteristic of many people who suffer from innumeracy.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
