stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstra-tə-ˌfīd How to pronounce stratified (audio)
1
: formed, deposited, or arranged in stable layers or strata
Such forced ascent of stable air leads to the formation of a stratified cloud layer that is large horizontally compared to its thickness.Frederick K. Lutgens et al.
The epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium forming the barrier that excludes harmful microbes and retains body fluids.Terry Lechler et al.
2
: divided into social classes
Through farming and fishing, they supported a dense population and highly stratified society that constructed irrigation canals, pyramids, palaces, and temples.Christopher B. Donnan

Examples of stratified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Second, the earlier excavation revealed the site to be deeply stratified — in other words, many layers of soil held a variety of clues about how the area was lived in over time. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2025 The first would be a top-down, macro-political approach that examined the pitfalls of applying the castle doctrine to a racially stratified country with more guns than people. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025 Demonstrations in 2019 laid bare the resentment many Chileans harbored over a stratified educational system, corruption and tax evasion among the wealthy, and a privatized pension system that has left many Chileans destitute in their old age. Paul J. Angelo, Foreign Affairs, 13 Dec. 2021 And that there's a permanent underclass that is racially stratified, and that's very hard for people to escape. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stratified

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stratified was in 1776

Cite this Entry

“Stratified.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stratified. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Medical Definition

stratified

adjective
strat·​i·​fied ˈstrat-ə-ˌfīd How to pronounce stratified (audio)
: arranged in layers
especially : of, relating to, or being an epithelium consisting of more than one layer of cells
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