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

The slowness of encryption forces them to triage. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

These breaks were less about long-term policy and more about political triage during a sudden price spike. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

More than a dozen city, county and state agencies worked together, deploying drones, using dummies as cadavers, and taking on the roles of victims, triage and others to make the drill as realistic as possible. —Mark Prussin, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026

Ruscio added an extension to the show’s Season 1 set to account for more time spent in triage in Season 2. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 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