What does personalising mean?
Personalising means making something feel specifically intended for an individual rather than generic or impersonal. The process may involve adding someone's name, selecting information that suits their interests, or adjusting a service, product, message, or digital interface to their needs. Personalised recommendations and personalised greetings are common modern examples. In marketing and customer service, the word often suggests care and attention to detail, although it can also describe automated systems that use personal information to tailor their output. The term is especially associated with British spelling, though its meaning is widely understood in both British and American English. It is useful wherever an important distinction is being drawn between a general communication and one that recognizes the recipient as a particular person.
verbTo make something personal or tailored to an individual, especially by adding a name or otherwise treating the recipient as a particular person.
- To make something personal or individually relevant to a particular person.
- To address or acknowledge someone by name or other personal details.
"The service personalises each message with the recipient's name and preferred title."
"The software personalises the dashboard according to each user's role and preferences."
"She personalised the invitation before sending it to the guest."
A personalised message says “you”; a personalisation system turns that simple idea into a message made for one recipient.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does personalising come from?
The verb “personalise” was formed in the 19th century from “personal”, meaning relating to an individual, and the suffix “-ise”. “Personal” comes from Latin personalis, derived from persona, a term for the mask or character presented by an actor. The same Latin root underlies “personality”, “personify”, and “personnel”. The modern sense of tailoring a product, message, or service developed alongside the growth of mass communication and later personalised digital services.
Related word forms
How personalising is actually used
Common in marketing, customer service, publishing, and digital design. The British spelling uses “-ise”, while the US spelling usually uses “-ize”; both are standard in their respective varieties.
Easily confused with personalising
“Personnel” means the employees or staff of an organisation, whereas “personalising” means making something tailored to individual people.