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
The White House would like Congress to codify DOGE’s cuts into law so they can’t easily be undone by the next Democratic administration.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 20 Mar. 2025
Health care providers offered testimony Monday in support of House Bill 7213, a proposal to codify into state law a guarantee that minors in Connecticut may receive contraceptive and pregnancy-related care without permission from their parents.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
The vote in the Senate was 62-38, with 37 Democrats opposing the bill along with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who wanted the measure to codify Trump’s cuts to foreign aid.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Advocate for codifying special education funds at the state and local levels.
—Anna North, Vox, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for codify
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 20 Mar. 2025
Health care providers offered testimony Monday in support of House Bill 7213, a proposal to codify into state law a guarantee that minors in Connecticut may receive contraceptive and pregnancy-related care without permission from their parents.
—Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2025
The vote in the Senate was 62-38, with 37 Democrats opposing the bill along with Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who wanted the measure to codify Trump’s cuts to foreign aid.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 14 Mar. 2025
Advocate for codifying special education funds at the state and local levels.
—Anna North, Vox, 13 Mar. 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 2 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share