Customize

How to spell customize

9 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce customize

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does customize mean?

1. verbTo modify or build something to suit a particular person's preferences or requirements.

Customize in a sentence

• The software lets each user customize the dashboard layout.

• You can customize the seating and trim before the car is built.

Where does customize come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This verb is a relatively modern formation built on the noun custom, which entered English in the 1200s from Old French costume, itself descended from the Latin consuetudo, meaning a habit or established practice. That Latin noun came from consuescere, 'to accustom' or 'to grow used to', combining the intensifying prefix com- with suescere, 'to become accustomed'. The verb customize was coined in American English in the early twentieth century by attaching the productive suffix -ize, drawn from the Greek -izein, which turns a noun into a verb meaning 'to make into' or 'to render'. Its first widespread use was in manufacturing and the motor trade, describing cars and goods altered to suit an individual buyer. The spelling trap lies entirely in that ending: the -ize suffix sounds identical to a soft s, so writers often hesitate between -ize and -ise.

How the word is built

• custom (a usual practice or habit)
• -ize (verb-forming suffix: to make or render)

British and American spelling

Customize is the American spelling. British English spells it customise.