stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstra-tə-ˌfīd 

1

: formed, deposited, or arranged in stable layers or strata

Such forced ascent of stable air leads to the formation of a stratified cloud layer that is large horizontally compared to its thickness.

—Frederick K. Lutgens et al.

The epidermis is a stratified squamous epithelium forming the barrier that excludes harmful microbes and retains body fluids.

—Terry Lechler et al.

2

: divided into social classes

Through farming and fishing, they supported a dense population and highly stratified society that constructed irrigation canals, pyramids, palaces, and temples.

—Christopher B. Donnan

Examples of stratified in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Post considers each survey’s methods in detail, including whether the sample was drawn using random sampling methods, how respondents are contacted and how samples are stratified or weighted to accurately represent the electorate. —Diane Napolitano, Washington Post, 26 June 2024

Having intended to make a trade magazine for DJs, Stone and Cohen eventually set out to champion new artists across genres and to bridge the stratified rap and indie-rock worlds, a mission exemplified in the third issue’s cover story pairing Beck and D’Angelo in conversation. —Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 25 June 2024

Mandela’s and the ANC’s victory in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994 represented, at the time, a moment of possibility for the racially diverse and less stratified country. —Ellen Ioanes, Vox, 13 June 2024

This dependence is a byproduct of decades of structural barriers that have seemingly become more stratified as the cost of major milestones like getting a house or retirement goes unchecked. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stratified

• stratified charge engine

Medical Definition

stratified

adjective

strat·​i·​fied ˈstrat-ə-ˌfīd 

: arranged in layers

especially : of, relating to, or being an epithelium consisting of more than one layer of cells