noun

triage

TREE-ahzh

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Triage (noun) means the process of sorting people or things by urgency or importance to decide what gets attention first. Example: “Nurses perform triage in the emergency room to treat the most critical patients first.”

noun

The process of sorting people or things by urgency or importance to decide what gets attention first.

"Nurses perform triage in the emergency room to treat the most critical patients first."

verb

To sort or prioritize by urgency.

"The team triaged the bug reports before the release."

How to use triage

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDeciding what needs urgent attention first, whether that's patients in a hospital or tasks in a busy workload.

Common pairings

triage patients triage nurse triage the workload

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: triages
Third person singular: triages
Past tense: triaged

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Nurses perform _____ in the emergency room to treat the most critical patients first.

Etymology

From French triage, "sorting," from trier, "to sort or pick out" — originally used for grading coffee beans before it became standard medical vocabulary.

Origin: French

Rhymes for triage

age wage cage page rage gage sage mage usage image stage adage

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Frequently asked questions

What does “triage” mean?

The word “triage” means the process of sorting people or things by urgency or importance to decide what gets attention first. In plain terms, deciding what needs urgent attention first, whether that's patients in a hospital or tasks in a busy workload.

How do you pronounce “triage”?

“Triage” is pronounced TREE-ahzh (/ˈtɹi.ɑʒ/ in IPA).

How do you use “triage” in a sentence?

Here is “triage” used in a sentence: “Nurses perform triage in the emergency room to treat the most critical patients first.”

What part of speech is “triage”?

Depending on how it is used, “triage” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “triage” come from?

The word “triage” comes from French. From French triage, "sorting," from trier, "to sort or pick out" — originally used for grading coffee beans before it became standard medical vocabulary.

How many meanings does “triage” have?

“Triage” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the process of sorting people or things by urgency or importance to decide what gets attention first.