stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstra-tə-ˌfīd 

1

: formed, deposited, or arranged in stable layers or strata

Such forced ascent of stable air leads to the formation of a stratified cloud layer that is large horizontally compared to its thickness.

—Frederick K. Lutgens et al.

The epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium forming the barrier that excludes harmful microbes and retains body fluids.

—Terry Lechler et al.

2

: divided into social classes

Through farming and fishing, they supported a dense population and highly stratified society that constructed irrigation canals, pyramids, palaces, and temples.

—Christopher B. Donnan

Examples of stratified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Disco music was notable for its stratified textures, anchored in the four-on-the-floor beat, which has the tendency to put the bass drum on every quarter note. —Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 23 Feb. 2025

However, stratified analyses indicated that marital status impacted dementia risk consistently, regardless of a person’s education, depression level, or genetic risk factors (e.g., APOE-e4 status). —Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025

The amateur-baseball industry is a stratified mess. —Lindsey Adler, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, the Arctic Ocean, once a warm and stratified basin, saw its surface waters cool significantly, eventually allowing sea ice to form. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stratified

• stratified charge engine

Rhymes for stratified

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified

Medical Definition

stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstrat-ə-ˌfīd 

: arranged in layers

especially : of, relating to, or being an epithelium consisting of more than one layer of cells