triage

noun

tri·​age trē-ˈäzh  ˈtrē-ˌäzh 

1

a

: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors

b

: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care

2

: the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success

triage transitive verb

Examples of triage in a Sentence

Nurses do triage in the emergency room.

Recent Examples on the Web

Some organizations use that connection to route issues to specific application groups, while others keep triage inside a central security function. —Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026

Firefighters also quickly established triage, treatment, and transport areas. —Teresa Stepzinski, Florida Times-Union, 25 Jan. 2026

Then came 1942, and glamour gave way to triage. —Lisa A. Beach, Southern Living, 23 Jan. 2026

That’s not engagement—that’s triage. —Jason Walker Psyd, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, sorting, sifting, from trier to sort, from Old French — more at try entry 1

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

triage

noun

tri·​age trē-ˈäzh  ˈtrē-ˌ 

1

: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors

2

: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care

triage transitive verb