What does stratify mean?
Stratify means to arrange something in layers, levels, or distinct classes. The word is especially used for natural materials such as sediment, soil, rock, and water, where different components may settle or form separate layers. It is also used in social analysis to describe the division of a population into groups according to wealth, status, occupation, education, or access to power. In this sense, “stratify” often implies that social inequalities are deeply established rather than merely temporary. The verb is related to “stratum,” a layer or level, and “stratification,” the process or result of forming such layers. In general writing, “stratify” is more formal than words such as “layer,” “sort,” or “divide,” but it is especially valuable when the divisions being described are systematic, hierarchical, or physically distinct.
verbTo arrange or form something in distinct layers, levels, or classes. It can also mean to divide a population or group into social or hierarchical strata.
- To arrange or form something in layers.
- To divide something into levels, classes, or hierarchical groups, especially according to social position.
"The sediment gradually stratified as the layers settled at the bottom of the lake."
"The laboratory stratifies the sediment samples before examining them."
"Access to education in deeply stratified societies is often unequal."
From the same root as “stratum,” stratify describes the hidden layers that give matter, landscapes, and societies their structure.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stratify come from?
The word comes from the Latin “stratum,” meaning “layer” or “covering,” which is related to the idea of spreading or extending something out. English borrowed the related verb “stratify” through French, with the meaning of arranging in layers or classes. Its development preserved the central sense of separating material or a population into distinct levels.
Related word forms
How stratify is actually used
The word is common in academic, scientific, and sociological writing. In its social sense, it often has a critical or analytical connotation, suggesting that inequalities are systematically reproduced.