strat‧i‧fi‧ca‧tion /ˌstrætəfəˈkeɪʃən, ˌstrætɪfəˈkeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable and countable]

1. when society is divided into separate social classes:
The Indian caste system is an example of social stratification.

2. the way in which earth, rocks etc form layers over time
—stratify /ˈstrætəfaɪ, ˈstrætɪfaɪ/ verb [intransitive and transitive]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲