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

Following the success of Season 1, Ruscio entered the sophomore season determined to expand the triage without altering its now-familiar look. — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026

Following a major hailstorm, for example, connected property intelligence can help carriers quickly assess affected neighborhoods, triage claims based on severity and deploy field resources where they're needed most. — David Tobias, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The mobile clinic can resemble a busy emergency room, but the triage area is for bicycles. — Melissa May, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026

Paramedic Al Kim was working triage in the South Tower Marriott lobby and survived the collapse. — ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 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