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.

Routine scanning passes, triage, and deduplication go to the 5-billion-parameter specialist. — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 Given the new realities of the AI age, including the chaining capabilities, companies like Microsoft might need to rethink their entire approach to triage, said Nguyen, the NSA’s former AI chief. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 29 July 2026 And perhaps most importantly, the specter of eugenics reared its ugly head in medical triage protocols, and the devaluing of lives deemed less worthy than others. — Kenny Fries, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 Bush was a pastor turned activist and triage nurse in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson protests. — ABC News, 26 July 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 6 Aug. 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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Medical Definition

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