Dictionary.com

stratification

[ strat-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]
/ ˌstræt ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /
Save This Word!

noun
the act or an instance of stratifying.
a stratified state or appearance: the stratification of ancient ruins from eight different periods.
Also called social stratification .Sociology. the hierarchical or vertical division of society according to rank, caste, or class: stratification of feudal society.
Geology.
  1. formation of strata; deposition or occurrence in strata.
  2. a stratum.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of stratification

First recorded in 1610–20, stratification is from the Medieval Latin word strātificātiōn- (stem of strātificātiō). See strati-, -fication
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stratification in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stratification

stratification
/ (ˌstrætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən) /

noun
the arrangement of sedimentary rocks in distinct layers (strata), each layer representing the sediment deposited over a specific period
the act of stratifying or state of being stratified

Derived forms of stratification

stratificational, adjective

Word Origin for stratification

C17 (in the obsolete sense: the act of depositing in layers) and C18 (in the current senses): from New Latin strātificātiōnem, from stratificāre to stratify
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for stratification

stratification
[ străt′ə-fĭ-kāshən ]

Formation or deposition of layers, as of rock, sediments, or atmospheric regions.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for stratification

stratification

The process by which materials form or are deposited in layers, as in sedimentary rocks and some igneous rocks.

notes for stratification

The atmosphere and the ocean also exhibit stratification, with the warmer air or water occupying the upper layers.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK