What does customising mean?
Customising means adapting or modifying something to suit particular requirements, preferences, or individual needs. It is especially common when discussing software, digital interfaces, vehicles, clothing, products, and services that offer users some degree of control over their appearance or behaviour. A person customising an application might rearrange its menus, change its appearance, or adjust its notification settings. A manufacturer offering customised products lets customers select materials, colours, dimensions, features, or decorative details. The word often conveys deliberate, detail-oriented adaptation, although it can also suggest excessive alteration or personal control. The related noun customisation names the process or the result, while customised describes something that has been adapted. The form customising is standard in British English, where -ising is preferred; American English normally uses customizing. In everyday use, the word implies more than simply changing an object, since the changes are usually intended to make it better suited to a particular person, purpose, or set of preferences.
verb (present participle and gerund form)To adapt or modify something to suit particular requirements, preferences, or individual needs. The term is commonly used for products, software, designs, settings, and services that can be adjusted by their users.
- To adapt or modify something according to particular needs, preferences, requirements, or an individual user's choices.
"She spent the afternoon customising the interface so that the most important tools were easy to reach."
"The company allows customers to customise each watch with their choice of strap and engraving."
"He is customising the settings so that notifications appear only during working hours."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does customising come from?
The verb developed from the older English word custom, meaning established practice or habitual use. English custom was borrowed through Old French costume from Latin consuetudo, a word meaning habit, practice, or use. Related English forms include customary, costume, and accustomed, all of which reflect the same broader Latin and French etymological tradition.
Related word forms
How customising is actually used
In British English, customising is spelled with -ising; in American English, customizing is more usual. The form can function as a present participle in a continuous construction or as a gerund naming the activity of adjustment.
Easily confused with customising
These forms have the same meaning and grammatical use; customising is the usual British spelling, whereas customizing is the usual US spelling.