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

Automating support ticket triage beats launching a customer-facing chatbot because the input format is stable and the cost saving is measurable. —Chris Brown, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

This system has left a hole in the market for those looking for medical-grade care focused on prevention and optimization as opposed to triage. —Kelsey Eisen, Robb Report, 26 June 2025

Cefalu set up a triage at the Tahoe Keys Marina office to help victims, some of whom reportedly had hypothermia, per South Tahoe Now. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 22 June 2025

How does New York triage the care of 10,000 acres of woodlands? —Robert Sullivan, Curbed, 9 June 2025

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