What does customisable mean?
Customisable describes something — usually a product, service, piece of software, or process — that can be modified to suit an individual user's particular needs, tastes, or requirements. A customisable phone case can be printed with your own design; a customisable report lets you choose which columns appear and how data is sorted. The word belongs overwhelmingly to the language of commerce and technology, where it signals flexibility and user control, and it carries a distinctly positive connotation: to call something customisable is to advertise that it bends to the buyer rather than forcing the buyer to bend to it. In British English the spelling ends in '-sable', while American usage favours the '-zable' form 'customizable'; the two are otherwise identical. Related forms include the verb 'to customise' and the noun 'customisation', which describe the act of making such adjustments. For consumers comparing products, 'how customisable?' has become a standard question alongside price and quality.
adjectiveAble to be modified or adapted to suit a particular person's needs, preferences, or specifications.
- (Of a product, system, interface, or process) designed so that users can modify its features, appearance, or settings to suit their own preferences.
"The dashboard is fully customisable, so each user can arrange the widgets however they like."
"Every plan comes with a customisable template that you can adapt to match your brand colours and fonts."
"The software offers a customisable toolbar, letting power users pin the tools they use most often."
It's the same word as 'customizable' — just wearing its British tailcoat: the '-s-' spelling marks it as UK English, while Americans write it with a 'z'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of customisable
The word descends from 'custom', which entered English via Old French 'costume', ultimately from Latin 'consuetudo', meaning habit or practice. In the twentieth century, American English coined the verb 'customize' — to make to order or adapt to a customer's specification — reflecting modern consumer culture's shift toward made-to-order goods. The adjective 'customisable' was formed from this verb using the '-able' suffix, indicating capability, and spread into British English under the '-isable' spelling convention. Its siblings include 'accustom', 'customary', and even 'costume', all tracing back to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How customisable is actually used
The '-isable' spelling is standard in British English, while American publications almost always print the '-izable' form ('customizable'). The word is used almost entirely in commercial and technical contexts — product descriptions, software documentation, and marketing copy — and carries a positive connotation of flexibility and user empowerment. It is rarely used outside these settings.
Easily confused with customisable
'Customary' means established by habit or tradition and done according to usual practice, whereas 'customisable' means capable of being altered to suit individual preferences.