stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstra-tə-ˌfīd How to pronounce stratified (audio)
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 Societies became stratified, and their most powerful members began to express their status by accumulating objects of value. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2023 China and the European Union last month started talks about cross-border data flow — a critical component of ensuring AI doesn’t create a further stratified and Balkanized global landscape. Peter Aitken, Fox News, 7 Oct. 2023 Busan operates two highly stratified competition sections (New Currents and Jiseok) for Asian filmmakers with differing degrees of experience. Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023 Eventually the borehole will burrow into the Cretaceous System, a stratified layer of rock that dates back to 145 million years ago. Julia Malleck, Quartz, 2 June 2023 Workers themselves were marginalized, minimized, segmented, separated and stratified. Jay Steven Levin, Forbes, 6 May 2022 All of this led to the formation of multi-community settlements with stratified political and economic structures. Agustín Fuentes, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2020 The longer the lake is stratified, the less time that nutrients are available to phytoplankton throughout the open water. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2023 Yet, insufficient attention has been paid towards greater disability inclusion within more niche and stratified segments of the media and entertainment industry – music videos being a prime example. Gus Alexiou, Forbes, 17 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stratified.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stratified was in 1776

Dictionary Entries Near stratified

Cite this Entry

“Stratified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stratified. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.

Medical Definition

stratified

adjective
strat·​i·​fied ˈstrat-ə-ˌfīd How to pronounce stratified (audio)
: arranged in layers
especially : of, relating to, or being an epithelium consisting of more than one layer of cells

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