formal10K+

Triage

UK //ˈtriː.ɑːʒ//US //triˈɑʒ//

Definition

The process of sorting and prioritizing cases or tasks based on urgency or importance.

In simple words: To sort and prioritize things based on their importance.

Examples

  • In the emergency room, doctors must quickly triage patients based on their injuries.
  • The team had to triage their tasks to meet the urgent deadline.
  • During disasters, medical professionals often need to triage victims.
  • We need to triage these issues to focus on the most pressing ones first.
  • Effective triage can save lives in critical situations.

Usage notes

Common in medical contexts for prioritizing patient treatment. Can be used in organizational settings for task prioritization. Avoid informal situations.

Grammar pattern

triage + object

Memory hint

Think of 'triage' as 'try age' – deciding who gets attention based on their urgent needs.

Collocations

  • medical triage
  • triage process
  • triage system
  • urgent triage

Synonyms

  • prioritize
  • sort
  • assess
  • classify

Common mistakes

  • Confusing with 'trivia' or 'triage' when speaking.
  • Using 'triage' as a verb when referring to unimportant tasks.