prioritize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
prioritizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prioritized,
past participle, past
-
prioritizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
prioritizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prioritized,
past participle, past
-
prioritizing
present participle
verb
-
to arrange (items to be attended to) in order of their relative importance
-
to give priority to or establish as a priority
Spelling
See -ize.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
prioritizesimple
-
prioritizessimple
-
have prioritizedperfect
-
has prioritizedperfect
-
am prioritizingprogressive
-
are prioritizingprogressive
-
is prioritizingprogressive
-
have been prioritizingperfect progressive
-
has been prioritizingperfect progressive
Past
-
prioritizedsimple
-
had prioritizedperfect
-
was prioritizingprogressive
-
were prioritizingprogressive
-
had been prioritizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of prioritize
First recorded in 1965–70; priorit(y) + -ize
Explanation
Prioritize means to rank in order of importance. There are so many great clubs and activities to get involved in––you should be sure to prioritize the ones you like, or you'll get burned out. Prioritize can also mean to set something at the top of a ranking system. By prioritizing healthy eating and exercise, you can lose weight and stay in shape. In the same way, when something is a priority, it usually means it has a high priority, or as some like to say, "priority number one."
Vocabulary lists containing prioritize
President Obama's Farewell Address
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 71-80
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: January 20 - 26, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But the Treasury noted Tuesday that the bank "failed to prioritize" compliance despite agreeing to the 2024 order.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Chinese automakers may opt to prioritize higher-priced models, which could lead to stiffer competition with premium German brands, they add.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Postpartum depression, limited partner support, housing problems, domestic violence, and other unmet social or safety needs can make it harder for new mothers to prioritize their own health, Yee said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
But some lifeless specimens have slipped into the language, among them colorize, prioritize, and finalize, and they’re probably going to be around for a while.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
“Our city prioritizes the use of surveillance as a means of safety, but that is not what’s happening in our schools in our streets,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
“While direct-to-consumer platforms have increased patient access to GLP-1 receptor agonists, these findings suggest that some do so through impersonal care that prioritizes quick prescriptions over comprehensive care,” the researchers wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The idea was to embed prevention specialists within targeting teams and foster a culture that prioritizes civilian security in accordance with U.S. law and international rules of war.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Apple prioritizes protecting gross profit dollar growth—rather than gross margins—on iPhones to limit demand elasticity on its core hardware product while also supporting installed base expansion,” he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
The strategy can appear somewhat random because it prioritizes gathering information over directly pursuing the answer.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
Scrolls found to contain lead could then be prioritized for CT scanning, potentially allowing many more texts to be recovered and building on the work of Seales and his collaborators.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly prioritized the use and production of drones since the war began in February 2022.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
While past regimes at Volkswagen prioritized selling similar cars all over the world—often ones ill-suited to American tastes—Blume is prioritizing lineups tailored to different regions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
"I believe that shared safety standards and international coordination on further AI development need to be prioritized now," OpenIA's Pachocki said on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
For the first time at Duke, I prioritized my personal happiness.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Meanwhile, “Musk” was recently joined in theaters by Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning,” in which Jeremy Strong portrays Zuckerberg as a soulless ghoul prioritizing clicks over user safety.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
The researchers believe this reflects the brain's ability to adapt to stressful situations by prioritizing information that may be important.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
“We’re 100% for hiring firefighters and prioritizing public safety. This is not shot at the firefighters. It’s an affordability issue. No one likes the permanence of a tax with no end in sight.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The used-car retailer, which is currently prioritizing sales volumes over gross margins, says it took steps to strengthen its price competitiveness during the recent quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Her brother talking about prioritizing his own interests over hers wasn’t that different from her prioritizing Mr. Griswold’s game over the cipher challenge.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
