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
Work-permit levels for TPS were set in 1990 and the complex method for determining whether someone qualifies for asylum was codified in 1996.
—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
If the tax changes are not codified by ordinance, they could theoretically be reversed swiftly by the next county executive after LeVota’s exit on January 1, 2027.
—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Congress's Great American AI Act discussion draft seeks to codify these ideas, focusing on institutional capacity and enforcement.
—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Those who firmly believed in a right to wade, and those who wanted to codify a right to float into law.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for codify
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Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
If the tax changes are not codified by ordinance, they could theoretically be reversed swiftly by the next county executive after LeVota’s exit on January 1, 2027.
—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
1 July 2026
Congress's Great American AI Act discussion draft seeks to codify these ideas, focusing on institutional capacity and enforcement.
—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
Those who firmly believed in a right to wade, and those who wanted to codify a right to float into law.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
1 July 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 3 Jul. 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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