codify

American  

[kod-uh-fahy, koh-duh-] / ˈkɒd əˌfaɪ, ˈkoʊ də- /

verb (used with object)

codified, codifying

1. to compile (laws, rules, etc.) into an orderly, formal code.

2. to make a digest of; arrange in a systematic collection.

   Synonyms:

   group, organize, order, catalog, classify

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codify British  

/ ˈkəʊdɪˌfaɪ, ˈkɒ- /

verb

1. (tr) to organize or collect together (laws, rules, procedures, etc) into a system or code

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Other Word Forms

• codifiability noun
• codifier noun
• recodify verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of codify

First recorded in 1795–1805; code + -ify

Example Sentences

Following the Dueñas decision, California lawmakers passed a bill that would have forced courts to determine whether defendants could pay before imposing many remaining fines — effectively codifying the ruling as state law.

From Los Angeles Times

Some elements of the new law will simplify and codify existing best practices.

From The Wall Street Journal

One challenge is codifying the decades of knowhow held in the brains of Bull and his colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal

That reliance on existing categories likely means Congress won’t need to pass a new law, but the gold card is going to have to be codified in new regulations eventually, he added.

From MarketWatch

It wasn’t until 1941, however, that the holiday’s date was codified in law, when Franklin Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress mandating its celebration on the fourth Thursday of November.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• summarize