stratify

verb

strat·​i·​fy ˈstra-tə-ˌfī How to pronounce stratify (audio)
stratified; stratifying

transitive verb

1
: to form, deposit, or arrange in strata
2
a
: to divide or arrange into classes, castes, or social strata
b
: to divide into a series of graded statuses

intransitive verb

: to become arranged in strata

Examples of stratify in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Vaccination rates are stratified by age group among adults, with the youngest adults far less vaccinated than those in older age brackets. Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Land of Milk and Honey presents a future so stratified that only a few, perched at the very top of the material ladder, will retain the right to eat for pleasure. Mayukh Sen, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023 This could mean non-coverage for certain patients who are otherwise indicated for a particular drug or different degrees of coverage for patients stratified into various sub-groups. Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 In an industry where planes are increasingly stratified with multiple distinct classes, there’s something refreshing about a civilized and elevated experience for all passengers. Chris Dong, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2023 Indeed, in its most recent trial, Lilly stratified patients by their level of tau, which is thought to be related to beta amyloid, into groups with intermediate and higher levels of tau. Robert Weisman, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023 When the surface water reaches a certain temperature, the lakes will stratify, creating layers that differ in their temperature, nutrients and oxygen levels. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2023 And the sortable nature of the USA Today database shows how stratified the highest levels of the Power 5 conferences get. Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 15 June 2023 Alarmingly, the study also found all the algorithms were worse at stratifying risk for Black men and women than for white. Ambar Castillo, STAT, 22 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stratify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin stratificare, from stratum + Latin -ificare -ify

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stratify was in 1661

Dictionary Entries Near stratify

Cite this Entry

“Stratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stratify. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stratify

verb
strat·​i·​fy ˈstrat-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce stratify (audio)
stratified; stratifying
: to form, deposit, or arrange in layers
stratified rock

More from Merriam-Webster on stratify

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