codify

verb

cod·i·fy ˈkä-də-ˌfī

ˈkō-

codified; codifying

transitive verb

: to reduce to a code

The convention codified the rules of war.

: systematize

Standardization refers to the process by which a language has been codified in some way.

Ronald Wardhaugh

: classify

Customer complaints are codified as dissatisfaction feedback.

codifiability

ˌkä-də-ˌfī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē

ˌkō-

noun

codification

ˌkä-də-fə-ˈkā-shən

ˌkō-

noun

Did you know?

A code is a collection of laws arranged in an orderly way; famous examples include the Code of Hammurabi, from about 1760 B.C. in ancient Babylon, and the Napoleonic Code, produced at Napoleon's orders in 1804. Laws that have been included in a code have been codified. The rules of baseball differed greatly from one place to another until they were codified by Alexander Cartwright in 1845; they haven't changed much since, though we don't know what Cartwright would say about the designated hitter.

Example Sentences

The convention codified the rules of war. The author tries to codify important ideas about language.

Recent Examples on the Web Laura Hancock reports that former gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley aims to codify Roe v. Wade’s previous protections, and work has already begun on pursuing a ballot campaign.

cleveland, 14 Nov. 2022 In July, House Democrats passed a bill to codify the federal right to contraception.

Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2022 The new White House report describes a bill to codify Roe into federal law as the only way to protect women's access, but the memo acknowledges this unlikely reality, given Democrats' current narrow majority in the Senate.

Cheyenne Haslett, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2022 On Monday, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a bill that would codify Roe, but is expected to face an uphill battle.

Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Aug. 2022 The House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that would codify the right to contraception.

Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 22 July 2022 Democrats have vowed to continue the fight, calling on voters to elect pro-choice lawmakers in this year's midterm elections who will help codify Roe.

Fox News, 18 May 2022 Roe was 1 day old in 1973 when Bella Abzug, who was a House representative from New York, urged Congress to codify Roe.

Alexandra Zayas, ProPublica, 5 May 2022 If elected, Whaley promised to push for a constitutional amendment to codify Roe.

Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 29 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'codify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.