What does customised mean?
'Customised' is both a verb form and an adjective describing something that has been made or altered to suit a particular person, purpose, or set of requirements. As the past tense and past participle of the verb 'customise' (British spelling), it refers to the act of tailoring — whether a car built to a driver's exact specification, software configured for one business, or a training programme shaped around a student's goals. As an adjective, it signals that a product or service departs from the standard offering: 'a customised keyboard' or 'a fully customised marketing plan'. The word carries strong connotations of personalisation, craftsmanship, and premium service, which explains its prominence in advertising and technology. Its spelling differs by region — 'customised' with an 's' predominates in British English, while American English favours 'customized' with a 'z' — but the meaning is identical. Ultimately, 'customised' captures a central idea of modern consumer life: the shift from mass production toward goods and services shaped around the individual.
Past tense and past participle of 'customise': to have modified or built something according to an individual user's or customer's specifications.
"The company customised the dashboard to display only the metrics their clients cared about."
In American English this form appears as 'customized'; the sense is identical.
Designed, built, or adapted to meet the specific requirements of a particular person or purpose, rather than offered in a standard form.
"The team installed a customised booking system across all three clinics."
Commonly used attributively ('a customised solution') in commercial and technical writing, often implying premium or personalised service.
Every 'customised' product carries a piece of Latin in its DNA — it traces back to 'consuetudinem', ancient Rome's word for habit, the same root that gave us costume.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of customised
The word derives from 'custom', which entered Middle English from Old French 'custume', ultimately from Latin 'consuetudinem', meaning habit or usage — the same root that produced 'costume' and 'accustom'. In its original sense, 'custom' referred to habitual practice or customary tolls before evolving to mean regular patronage of a business. From this came 'customise', formed relatively recently as a verb denoting the making of things according to a customer's specifications, first appearing in the twentieth century alongside the rise of bespoke manufacturing. The '-ised' form reflects the British spelling convention; American usage adopted '-ized'. Related cognates include 'customary', 'costume', and 'accustom', all tracing back to the same Latin notion of habit.
Related word forms
How customised is actually used
'Customise' with an 's' is the standard spelling in Britain, Australia, and most Commonwealth countries, while American English uses 'customize' with a 'z'. The word carries a positive commercial connotation, suggesting personal attention and premium quality, and appears frequently in marketing language for software, vehicles, clothing, and services. It should not be confused with 'accustom', which relates to becoming familiar with something.
Easily confused with customised
'Customary' means usual or traditional according to established practice, while 'customised' describes something altered to fit a specific person's needs.
'Customer' is a noun meaning a buyer of goods or services; 'customised' is an adjective or verb form describing modification to suit someone.