prioritize
Americanverb (used with object)
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prioritizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prioritized,
past participle, past
-
prioritizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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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
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prioritizesimple
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prioritizessimple
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have prioritizedperfect
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has prioritizedperfect
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am prioritizingprogressive
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are prioritizingprogressive
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is prioritizingprogressive
-
have been prioritizingperfect progressive
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has been prioritizingperfect progressive
Past
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prioritizedsimple
-
had prioritizedperfect
-
was prioritizingprogressive
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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
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Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 71-80
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This Week in Words: January 20 - 26, 2018
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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:
"Across several kinds of brain cells, this paired view revealed a consistent signature of 3D genome reorganization in Alzheimer's disease and helped us prioritize regulatory regions for future mechanistic and therapeutic investigation."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026
As people drink less and younger generations prioritize fitness and health, bottomless mimosas and carb-heavy menus are out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
If you don’t have an emergency fund, prioritize that before any home purchase.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Coverage should not prioritize "clicks, engagement, or sensationalism," the spokesperson said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
The decision to prioritize a victory in space over problems on Earth was the most widespread criticism against the space program.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
The utility prioritizes replacement projects based on a variety of factors including the age of the line, leak history and the consequences of failure in a particular area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 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
"But this work demonstrates that recycling can work when society prioritizes sustainability."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
The negativity could actually be a boon for Apple, which has long marketed itself as a company that prioritizes user privacy and safety.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 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
“The most obvious way is ensuring that infrastructure projects are prioritized in communities that have long been ignored.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Since becoming mayor in January, Mamdani has widened bike lanes, announced plans for new bike boulevards and prioritized improving pedestrian walkways.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
As a result, builders pulled back from starter homes and other dwellings typically used for entry-level homeownership and prioritized building units for rent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
They were probably already working from a prioritized list of possibilities, entering them as fast as Sorrento could type.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Kristin Myers, executive vice president and chief digital officer at Northwell Health, also speaking at the event, said one of the solutions is really prioritizing hands-on learning with business partners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Here’s the short version: Tradwives promote a traditional model of family life, prioritizing being a homemaker and a primary caregiver and supporting their husbands’ role as the primary breadwinner.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
More refineries in the Middle East and in Russia are offline and China is increasingly prioritizing its domestic fuel market and has cut down on demand for crude, Smith said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
Organizers are open about prioritizing Metro and cycling as preferred ways to arrive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 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
Definitions 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.
