codify

verb

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cod·i·fy | \ ˈkä-də-ˌfī

, ˈkō- \

codified; codifying

Definition of codify

transitive verb

1 : to reduce to a code The convention codified the rules of war.

2a : systematize Standardization refers to the process by which a language has been codified in some way.— Ronald Wardhaugh

b : classify Customer complaints are codified as dissatisfaction feedback.

Other Words from codify Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About codify

Other Words from codify

codifiability \ ˌkä-də-ˌfī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

, ˌkō- \ noun

codification \ ˌkä-də-fə-ˈkā-shən

, ˌkō- \ noun

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 But the Court itself does not codify those laws—that’s the job of the legislative branch. — Lauren Puckett-pope, ELLE, 4 May 2022 The state General Assembly is currently considering legislation that would codify the governor’s executive order on limiting rising health care costs through data transparency. — Erica E. Phillips, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2022 The trade suspension bill would allow the United States to enact higher tariffs on Russian imports, while the bill banning Russian oil would codify into law an executive order that President Joe Biden signed. — Celina Tebor, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2022 In fact, Putin has demanded the immediate start of negotiations to codify strict limits to NATO's expansion, particularly with regard to Ukraine. — CBS News, 5 Jan. 2022 The group further criticized the Board of Education’s plans to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would codify COVID-19 safety measures, including a mask mandate for students and staff, testing for unvaccinated employees and quarantining. — Tracy Swartz, chicagotribune.com, 23 Feb. 2022 The governor is seeking legislation that would codify his executive action putting benchmarking in place. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, 14 Feb. 2022 Stevie Downie, 31, of Raynham, also called for change beyond symbolic changes that codify Juneteenth as a official holiday. — BostonGlobe.com, 19 June 2021 Those changes codify a set of rules the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations all attempted to create through regulation—but that were invalidated by a federal judge last June in a lawsuit. — Michelle Hackman, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'codify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.