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
Republican House members have rushed to introduce bills that would codify Trump's vision for expanding the U.S. borders by acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal, for instance.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
The House and Senate must pass the Lumbee Fairness Act to codify this recognition once and for all.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
The Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County is considering a new Community Wildfire Protection ordinance that would codify and enhance some of these same statewide requirements.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump undoubtedly knows that the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants are birthright citizens under the court’s longstanding interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as under federal statutes that have codified the Wong Kim Ark decision.
—Rachel E. Rosenbloom / Made By History, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
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Andrew Solender, Axios, 24 Jan. 2025
The House and Senate must pass the Lumbee Fairness Act to codify this recognition once and for all.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
The Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County is considering a new Community Wildfire Protection ordinance that would codify and enhance some of these same statewide requirements.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump undoubtedly knows that the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants are birthright citizens under the court’s longstanding interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment, as well as under federal statutes that have codified the Wong Kim Ark decision.
—Rachel E. Rosenbloom / Made By History, TIME, 15 Jan. 2025
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 30 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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