prioritize

American  

[prahy-awr-i-tahyz, -or-] / praɪˈɔr ɪˌtaɪz, -ˈɒr- /

especially British, prioritise

verb (used with object)

prioritized, prioritizing

1. to arrange or do in order of priority.

   learning to prioritize our assignments.

2. to give a high priority to.

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verb (used without object)

prioritized, prioritizing

1. to organize or deal with something according to its priority.

prioritize British  

/ praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪz /

verb

1. to arrange (items to be attended to) in order of their relative importance

2. to give priority to or establish as a priority

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Spelling

See -ize.

Other Word Forms

• prioritization noun
• reprioritization noun
• reprioritize verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of prioritize

First recorded in 1965–70; priorit(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

Instead, it warns that the growing use of algorithmic tools to analyze workers’ personal data can enable pay practices that prioritize cost-cutting over transparency or fairness.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The company said its strategy would prioritize value creation from its existing land holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

However, NordVPN’s larger footprint and broader range of specialty tools may appeal more to users who prioritize speed, flexibility and advanced privacy options.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

While OpenAI has leaned into military partnerships, Anthropic markets itself on its ethics, and even published a “constitution” that instructs Claude to prioritize safety, ethics and helpfulness.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

I made a mental list of what I wanted to prioritize in my life—things like community service and charitable work were on the top.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• compute
• register
• set up