stratify

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verb strat·i·fy \ ˈstra-tə-ˌfī \

Definition of stratify

stratified; stratifying

transitive verb

1 :to form, deposit, or arrange in strata

2 a :to divide or arrange into classes, castes, or social strata

b :to divide into a series of graded statuses

intransitive verb

:to become arranged in strata

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Recent Examples of stratify from the Web

This thermodynamic flip-flop renders an unstable atmosphere stratified and more stable.

— jeff halverson, Washington Post, "A small but wicked storm blew up over Frederick County. Here’s what happened.," 2 Aug. 2017
The top of the East seems to have stratified in that way.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "East Playoff Window Has Never Been More Open," 27 July 2017
For one thing, post-stratifying on party ID is something that any pollster can do.

— andrew gelman, Washington Post, "Most of the bounces in Trump’s approval ratings aren’t real," 17 July 2017
The new standards were scheduled to roll out across Illinois between 2010 and 2014, and were a fundamental shift, particularly for high schools used to stratifying students, placing them into different levels of classes based on their abilities.

— diane rado, chicagotribune.com, "Tribune analysis: College prep courses not preparing kids for college," 19 May 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of stratify

New Latin stratificare, from stratum + Latin -ificare -ify

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First Known Use: 1661

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