internalize
C1Formal, academic, psychological, business.
Definition
Meaning
To make a concept, belief, or attitude a natural part of one's thinking or personality.
To take in or absorb information, feelings, or patterns so that they become an unconscious, automatic part of one's mental processes. In psychology, it refers to the unconscious adoption of values or standards from others.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a process that happens over time, leading to a change in behaviour or fundamental outlook. Can be used neutrally, positively (e.g., internalizing good habits), or negatively (e.g., internalizing criticism).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning. Spelling: 'internalise' is the standard British variant, though '-ize' is also accepted, especially in academic publishing. 'Internalize' is standard American.
Connotations
Slight preference for 'internalise' in UK healthcare/psychology contexts; 'internalize' is uniformly American.
Frequency
More frequent in American English, particularly in corporate and self-help contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] internalizes [Object] (e.g., Children internalize social norms).[Subject] internalizes [Object] as [Complement] (e.g., She internalized the criticism as a personal failure).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To take something to heart”
- “To make something one's own”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Employees must internalize the company's core values to drive authentic customer service.
Academic
The study examines how adolescents internalize societal beauty standards.
Everyday
After years of practice, he's internalized the route to work and drives almost automatically.
Technical
In cognitive psychology, to internalize is to convert external actions into internal mental schemas.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Trainees must internalise the safety protocols until they become second nature.
- She had internalised her parents' cautious worldview.
American English
- The team needs to internalize the new strategy before the rollout.
- He internalized the failure and it affected his confidence for years.
adverb
British English
- N/A (The adverb is 'internally')
American English
- N/A (The adverb is 'internally')
adjective
British English
- N/A (The adjective is 'internal')
American English
- N/A (The adjective is 'internal')
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Good drivers internalize the rules of the road.
- It takes time to internalize a new language.
- The company culture encourages employees to internalize a sense of ownership over their projects.
- Children often internalize the behaviours they observe at home.
- The therapist helped her identify and challenge the negative beliefs she had internalized in childhood.
- Successful democracies depend on citizens internalizing the principles of civil discourse.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of putting something INside your inTERNAL self, making it part of you.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A CONTAINER (Ideas are absorbed into the container of the self).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'интернализировать' (a direct calque used in very narrow academic/economic contexts) or 'внушать' (to inspire/suggest). The closest natural equivalent is 'усваивать' (to assimilate, learn thoroughly) or 'принимать близко к сердцу' (to take to heart, for emotions/criticism).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'internalize' for simple understanding or memorization (it implies deeper integration).
- Confusing with 'internal' (adjective).
- Incorrect: 'I internalized the phone number.' Correct: 'I memorized the phone number.' or 'I internalized the belief that hard work pays off.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'internalize' used LEAST appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
To 'memorize' is to commit information to memory. To 'internalize' is a deeper process where beliefs, values, or patterns become an unconscious, automatic part of one's thinking and behaviour, often influencing identity.
No. While it can be positive (e.g., internalizing healthy habits), it often has a neutral or negative connotation in contexts like internalizing stress, criticism, or harmful stereotypes.
Yes, in a different sense. In economics, 'internalize' means to include the external costs or benefits of an activity in its market price (e.g., 'The tax aims to internalize the environmental cost of production'). This is a separate, technical usage.
The primary noun is 'internalization' (e.g., the internalization of norms).