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.
Synonyms
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
Game companies have also signed side agreements with the union that codify certain AI protections in order to keep working with actors during the strike.
—Matt O’Brien and Sarah Parvini, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
The minimum wage — hard-won by labor — is not supposed to codify the absolute lowest amount employers can get away with paying.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
Women’s groups around the country began making their choices, and, in the decades that followed, states codified their selections and added others: the sagebrush of Nevada, the Cherokee rose of Georgia, the sego lily of Utah.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
The bald eagle had been on the nation’s Great Seal since the Revolutionary War and upheld as a proud emblem of the nation, but it was never codified in law as the official bird.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for codify 
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Matt O’Brien and Sarah Parvini, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
The minimum wage — hard-won by labor — is not supposed to codify the absolute lowest amount employers can get away with paying.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Dec. 2024
Women’s groups around the country began making their choices, and, in the decades that followed, states codified their selections and added others: the sagebrush of Nevada, the Cherokee rose of Georgia, the sego lily of Utah.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024
The bald eagle had been on the nation’s Great Seal since the Revolutionary War and upheld as a proud emblem of the nation, but it was never codified in law as the official bird.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for codify
Dictionary Entries Near codify
Cite this Entry
“Codify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/codify. Accessed 5 Jan. 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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