codify
verb
cod·i·fy
ˈkä-də-ˌfī 
ˈkō-
codified; codifying
1
: to reduce to a code
The convention codified the rules of war.
2
a
: systematize
Standardization refers to the process by which a language has been codified in some way.—
Ronald Wardhaugh
Ronald Wardhaugh
b
: classify
Customer complaints are codified as dissatisfaction feedback.
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.
Examples of codify in a Sentence
The convention codified the rules of war.
The author tries to codify important ideas about language.
Recent Examples on the Web
Beyond the basic role expectations, Aubrey and her team were able to codify values and teamwork into explicit organizational systems.
—Jyoti Jani, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Benson is backing a bill in Michigan's legislature to permanently codify some citizenship checks on the back end of the state's registration system.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 17 May 2025
The coalition’s primary goal with its own campaign, called Keep California Rolling, has been to lobby federal and state government officials to codify solutions.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 17 May 2025
If codified into law, aoudads would become the third animal on the helicopter hunting list, along with coyotes and feral hogs.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for codify
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Jyoti Jani, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Benson is backing a bill in Michigan's legislature to permanently codify some citizenship checks on the back end of the state's registration system.
—Miles Parks, NPR, 17 May 2025
The coalition’s primary goal with its own campaign, called Keep California Rolling, has been to lobby federal and state government officials to codify solutions.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 17 May 2025
If codified into law, aoudads would become the third animal on the helicopter hunting list, along with coyotes and feral hogs.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for codify
Cite this Entry
“Codify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codify. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
codify
verb
cod·i·fy
ˈkäd-ə-ˌfī
ˈkōd-
codified; codifying
: to arrange (as a collection of laws) in an orderly form
Legal Definition
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