Standard Lemma guide

stratify

verb · 7 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.

  • /ˈstratɪfʌɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T R AE1 T AH0 F AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To become separated out into distinct layers or strata.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Even without a pronounced social class system, people in a large society tend to stratify.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To separate out into distinct layers or strata.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • In this cut you can see how the sedimentary rock layers have been clearly stratified.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

render fertile and preserve by placing between layers of earth or sand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • stratify seeds

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inseminate, fecundate, fertilize, fertilise

4

verb

Meaning 4

form layers or strata

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The rock stratifies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: arrange, set up

5

verb

Meaning 5

form, arrange, or deposit in layers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The fish are stratified in barrels
  • The rock was stratified by the force of the water
  • A statistician stratifies the list of names according to the addresses

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: put, set, place, pose, position, lay

Narrower terms: interstratify

6

verb

Meaning 6

divide society into social classes or castes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Income distribution often stratifies a society

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: distinguish, separate, differentiate, secern, secernate, severalize, severalise, tell, tell apart

7

verb

Meaning 7

develop different social levels, classes, or castes

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Society stratifies when the income gap widens

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

History

Etymology

From French stratifier.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: наслоявам се (naslojavam se) — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Bulgarian: напластявам се (naplastjavam se) — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Catalan: estratificar — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分層 /分层 (fēncéng) — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Estonian: kihistuma — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • French: stratifier — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Italian: stratificare — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Persian: اشکوبیدن (oškubidan) — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Portuguese: estratificar-se — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Spanish: estratificar — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Swedish: skikta sig — to become separated out into distinct layers
  • Bulgarian: разслоявам се (razslojavam se) — to separate out into distinct layers
  • Chinese Mandarin: 分層 /分层 (fēncéng) — to separate out into distinct layers
  • Estonian: ladestama — to separate out into distinct layers
  • German: (in Schichten) aufschlüsseln — to separate out into distinct layers
  • Portuguese: estratificar — to separate out into distinct layers
  • Russian: стратифицировать (stratificirovatʹ) — to separate out into distinct layers