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
The bill, shared first with CNN, would codify NOAA’s aircraft reconnaissance and research role into law, which could help prevent those responsibilities from being transferred to another agency, like the US Air Force.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
New legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of senators strives to add new aircraft to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter fleet and codify the agency’s role in meteorological research.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 17 June 2026
Buddha offers an egalitarian path to enlightenment; Confucius codifies a religion of learning; Augustine infuses Christianity with Plato and Aristotle; Martin Luther shifts spirituality inward; Duns Scotus separates belief from knowledge; William of Ockham cultivates equality under the law.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
That film served as Carpenter’s follow-up to his breakthrough hit, Halloween, which didn’t invent the slasher film but did codify and popularize the horror subgenre in which seemingly deathless masked killers stalk helpless prey, often horny teens (though anyone will do in a pinch).
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for codify
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Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
New legislation introduced by a bipartisan group of senators strives to add new aircraft to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter fleet and codify the agency’s role in meteorological research.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 17 June 2026
Buddha offers an egalitarian path to enlightenment; Confucius codifies a religion of learning; Augustine infuses Christianity with Plato and Aristotle; Martin Luther shifts spirituality inward; Duns Scotus separates belief from knowledge; William of Ockham cultivates equality under the law.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
That film served as Carpenter’s follow-up to his breakthrough hit, Halloween, which didn’t invent the slasher film but did codify and popularize the horror subgenre in which seemingly deathless masked killers stalk helpless prey, often horny teens (though anyone will do in a pinch).
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 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 19 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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