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

And that there's a permanent underclass that is racially stratified, and that's very hard for people to escape. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025

These include extreme winds, strong water currents and climate events such as El Niño—which cause heat to move vertically through the ocean’s stratified temperature layers. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2025

Brown’s work as Darden provides much of the emotional heart of the story; the character embodies the conflicting perspectives in L.A.’s racially stratified communities that swirled around the case. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025

These shifts could gradually replace the deep blue hues of today's oceans with purples, browns, and greens, especially in coastal or stratified waters. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 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