triage

noun

tri·age trē-ˈäzh ˈtrē-ˌäzh

: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors

: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care

: the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success

triage transitive verb

Examples of triage in a Sentence

Nurses do triage in the emergency room.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Much of that work falls to maintainers who are already balancing issue triage, feature development, release management and community support—in many cases alongside full-time jobs. — Aaron Mitchell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Your ticket through triage Start with an accurate digital thermometer. — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Gates said jobs in customer service, sales, software engineering and paralegal work may be among those affected early on, while AI could ultimately handle tasks ranging from analyzing loan applications to evaluating data and helping triage patients. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Aug. 2026 Their vehicles are packed with animal triage kits filled with supplies to treat injuries and wounds. — Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for triage

Word History

Etymology

French, sorting, sifting, from trier to sort, from Old French — more at try entry 1

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of triage was in 1918

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Triage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triage. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Medical Definition

triage

noun

tri·age trē-ˈäzh ˈtrē-ˌ

: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors

: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care

triage transitive verb

triage

noun

Examples of triage in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

Medical Definition

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