What does individualise mean?
Individualise means to make something fit the needs, preferences, abilities, or circumstances of one particular person rather than treating everyone in the same way. It is used especially in education, healthcare, business, and public policy, where standard services can be adapted for individual requirements. For example, an individualised learning plan gives a student goals and activities suited to that student's progress and needs, while individualised treatment considers the particular circumstances of a patient. The word often carries a positive association with personal attention and flexibility, although it can also suggest that attention to individual differences is more important than shared provision. It is the verb corresponding to the noun individualisation and is closely related to personalise, but individualise focuses on adapting a process or service to an individual's circumstances rather than simply adding personal details.
verbTo make something specific or suitable for an individual person rather than applying the same approach to everyone.
- To adapt or tailor something to the needs, characteristics, or circumstances of a particular individual.
"The software allows teachers to individualise each student's learning plan."
"The programme individualises each learner's progression according to their progress."
"Clinicians may individualise treatment when standard guidelines do not suit a patient's circumstances."
To individualise is to replace one-size-fits-all thinking with a plan shaped around one person.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does individualise come from?
The word combines individual with the suffix -ise, meaning “to make into” or “to bring into a specified condition.” Individual ultimately derives from Latin individuus, meaning “indivisible” or “not divided into parts,” a usage that developed into the modern sense of a person or single entity. Individualise entered English as a verb meaning “to distinguish or treat as an individual.” The spelling with -ise is traditionally British, while -ize is standard in American English.
Related word forms
How individualise is actually used
The verb is formal and especially common in education, healthcare, and public policy. The spelling is individualise in British English and individualize in American English.
Easily confused with individualise
Individualise means to adapt something to a particular person's needs or circumstances, whereas personalise more often means adding a person's name, preferences, or identity to something.