Standard Lemma guide

ramify

verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /ˈɹæm.ɪ.faɪ/
  • UK, US: /ˈɹæm.ə.faɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R AE1 M AH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To divide into branches or subdivisions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • to ramify an art, subject, scheme

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The road forks

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: branch, fork, furcate, separate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: diverge

Narrower terms: arborize, arborise, twig, bifurcate, trifurcate

4

verb

Meaning 4

grow and send out branches or branch-like structures

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • these plants ramify early and get to be very large

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: branch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: grow

5

verb

Meaning 5

have or develop complicating consequences

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • These actions will ramify

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: complexify

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French ramifier, from Medieval Latin ramificō (“to branch, ramify”), from Latin rāmus (“a branch”) + -ficō (causative suffix).

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разклонявам — to divide into branches
  • Czech: rozvětvit — to divide into branches
  • Czech: rozvětvit se — to divide into branches
  • Czech: rozvětvovat — to divide into branches
  • Czech: rozvětvovat se — to divide into branches
  • Finnish: haarautua — to divide into branches
  • German: ramifizieren — to divide into branches
  • German: verzweigen — to divide into branches
  • German: verästeln — to divide into branches
  • Hungarian: elágazik — to divide into branches
  • Hungarian: szétágazik — to divide into branches
  • Icelandic: kvíslast — to divide into branches
  • Icelandic: greinast — to divide into branches
  • Portuguese: ramificar — to divide into branches
  • Russian: разветвляться (razvetvljatʹsja) — to divide into branches
  • Russian: ответвляться (otvetvljatʹsja) — to divide into branches
  • Russian: разделяться (razdeljatʹsja) — to divide into branches
  • Russian: ветвиться (vetvitʹsja) — to divide into branches
  • Spanish: ramificar — to divide into branches
  • Ukrainian: розгалу́жуватися (rozhalúžuvatysja) — to divide into branches
  • Ukrainian: розгалу́зитися (rozhalúzytysja) — to divide into branches
  • Czech: rozvětvit — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Czech: rozvětvit se — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Czech: rozvětvovat — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Czech: rozvětvovat se — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Czech: rozdělovat — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Czech: rozdělovat se — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Finnish: laajeta — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Russian: ответвляться (otvetvljatʹsja) — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Russian: разделяться (razdeljatʹsja) — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories
  • Spanish: diversificar — (figuratively) to spread or diversify into multiple fields or categories