codify
verb
cod·i·fy
ˈkä-də-ˌfī 
ˈkō-
codified; codifying
1
: to reduce to a code
The convention codified the rules of war.
2
a
: systematize
Standardization refers to the process by which a language has been codified in some way.—
Ronald Wardhaugh
Ronald Wardhaugh
b
: classify
Customer complaints are codified as dissatisfaction feedback.
Did you know?
A code is a collection of laws arranged in an orderly way; famous examples include the Code of Hammurabi, from about 1760 B.C. in ancient Babylon, and the Napoleonic Code, produced at Napoleon's orders in 1804. Laws that have been included in a code have been codified. The rules of baseball differed greatly from one place to another until they were codified by Alexander Cartwright in 1845; they haven't changed much since, though we don't know what Cartwright would say about the designated hitter.
Examples of codify in a Sentence
The convention codified the rules of war.
The author tries to codify important ideas about language.
Recent Examples on the Web
Following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of federal agents in Minnesota earlier this year, Democrats sought to block additional funding for ICE and Border Patrol—at least not without codifying reforms to immigration enforcement.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
So this was codifying the idea that the federal government would never pay any claims of Confederate debt in the future.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
And how Toisanese traditions, like sweet and sour sauce, undoubtedly informed the dishes that twisted, turned and codified into the Chinese American culinary canon.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Abarca said that besides just codifying some of these issues, the ordinance shows the Legislature is listening to inmates and their families, particularly those who are in pre-trial detention who have not been convicted of a crime.
—Ben Wheeler
june 4, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for codify
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Chad De Guzman, Time, 10 June 2026
So this was codifying the idea that the federal government would never pay any claims of Confederate debt in the future.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026
And how Toisanese traditions, like sweet and sour sauce, undoubtedly informed the dishes that twisted, turned and codified into the Chinese American culinary canon.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Abarca said that besides just codifying some of these issues, the ordinance shows the Legislature is listening to inmates and their families, particularly those who are in pre-trial detention who have not been convicted of a crime.
—Ben Wheeler
june 4, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for codify
Cite this Entry
“Codify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codify. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
codify
verb
cod·i·fy
ˈkäd-ə-ˌfī
ˈkōd-
codified; codifying
: to arrange (as a collection of laws) in an orderly form
Legal Definition
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