internalise
internalise — verb
1. To take in a belief, idea, rule, or value from society or the people around you
To take in a belief, idea, rule, or value from society or the people around you and start to follow it naturally, as if it had always been your own.
Nadia grew up in a home where hard work was valued, and she soon internalised the belief that success requires effort.
collocation: internalise + belief / value / idea
After living in Japan for three years, Chen had internalised many local customs without even thinking about it.
The children internalised their parents' polite manners so completely that they used them at school too.
It took Wei a long time to internalise the idea that making mistakes is a normal part of learning a new skill.
Boris internalised his company's customer-first approach during his first year as a team manager.
- absorb
more passive and gradual — learning without deliberate effort
- assimilate
more formal; often refers to fitting into a new culture or group
- adopt
more about choosing something new rather than making it part of yourself
- reject
to refuse to accept a belief or idea
文法句型
internalise + belief / idea / value / custom
internalise + that-clause (e.g. internalise the idea that…)
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person, often a child or learner within a social group. Object is an abstract noun such as belief, value, custom, norm, idea, or principle. Frequently appears in discussions about socialisation, education, and workplace culture.
常見錯誤
2. To keep your feelings, worries, or pain hidden inside yourself instead of lettin
To keep your feelings, worries, or pain hidden inside yourself instead of letting other people see them, even though you are fully aware of those emotions.
Keiko had learned to internalise her anger as a child, so she rarely raised her voice even when upset.
collocation: internalise + anger / sadness / disappointment
Hassan internalised his disappointment after losing the race and congratulated the winner with a warm smile.
Instead of crying, Lucia internalised her sadness and carried on with her daily tasks at the office.
Guo internalised the stress from his final exams and only told his family about it months later.
Vikram internalised his fear of speaking in front of a crowd and never let his classmates see how nervous he felt.
文法句型
internalise + emotion (anger / sadness / disappointment / fear)
用法筆記
Object is usually a specific emotion or mental state: anger, sadness, disappointment, fear, stress, worry, pain. This sense contrasts directly with express, show, or vent emotions. Common in psychology contexts and discussions about emotional wellbeing.
常見錯誤
3. To include an expense, side effect, or external impact in the total price or bud
To include an expense, side effect, or external impact in the total price or budget of something, so that it is paid for within the final amount rather than being left for others to bear.
The factory internalised the cost of cleaning up its waste by adding it to the price of each product.
collocation: internalise + the cost of + [something]
Wen argued that delivery companies should internalise the environmental damage caused by their trucks.
When the airline internalised the fuel surcharge into its ticket prices, fares rose by nearly ten percent.
Suki's team internalised the shipping fees into the total budget for the overseas project.
The new law forces building firms to internalise the expense of repairing roads damaged by their construction vehicles.
- factor in
more common in everyday business language; less formal than internalise
- incorporate
broader meaning — can include non-financial elements too
- exclude
to leave a cost out of the budget so it is paid by someone else
文法句型
internalise + cost / expense / damage + into + price / budget
用法筆記
Common in economics, environmental policy, and business accounting. Object is typically cost, expense, damage, impact, surcharge, or fee. The preposition into often follows to show where the cost is absorbed. Subject is usually an organisation, company, or industry.