triage

noun

1
a
: 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
b
: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care
2
: 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.
These towns are not flush with money and have to do their best to triage which projects move to the front of the growing queue. Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026 The stakes for getting that triage right are real. Stephen Johnson, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026 These copilots handle administrative triage, patient communication, and proactive outreach, while seamlessly connecting patients to doctors when needed. Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026 In the fall, King led CPS through Operation Midway Blitz, expanding the district’s Student Safety Center with a dedicated team to triage incidents related to federal immigration enforcement. Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 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

Cite this Entry

“Triage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triage. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Medical Definition

triage

noun
1
: 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
2
: the sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care
triage transitive verb
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster