prioritize

American  

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

especially British, prioritise

verb (used with object)

• prioritizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• prioritized,
  past participle,  past
• prioritizing
  present participle

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)

• prioritizes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• prioritized,
  past participle,  past
• prioritizing
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• prioritizing
  present
• prioritized
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• prioritize
  simple
• prioritizes
  simple
• have prioritized
  perfect
• has prioritized
  perfect
• am prioritizing
  progressive
• are prioritizing
  progressive
• is prioritizing
  progressive
• have been prioritizing
  perfect progressive
• has been prioritizing
  perfect progressive

Past

• prioritized
  simple
• had prioritized
  perfect
• was prioritizing
  progressive
• were prioritizing
  progressive
• had been prioritizing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will prioritize
  simple
• will have prioritized
  perfect
• will be prioritizing
  progressive
• will have been prioritizing
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prioritize prioritizes prioritized prioritizing

If the Angels — whether under current owner Arte Moreno or a future owner — wish to develop the 150-acre Angel Stadium property, state law would prioritize affordable housing within the site.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

The challenges reflect the culmination of a long-standing identity crisis inside Google: whether to prioritize mass-market commercial products, or build tools for scientific research.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

Another 15,000 were given to HSI’s cross-border financial crimes unit, which was told to prioritize them over money laundering and fraud cases, a former high-level HSI official said.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

The World Bank said Friday it was disbursing $200 million in emergency funds for the disaster response, as well as a mechanism to assess economic losses to help "prioritize aid and reconstruction efforts."

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Her choice to prioritize family life did nothing to dampen her parents’ pride in her academic achievements.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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

She now plays for a team that prioritizes maternal support.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

The strategy can appear somewhat random because it prioritizes gathering information over directly pursuing the answer.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

A more conservative allocation, such as 40% stocks and 60% bonds, generally prioritizes capital preservation over growth.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

But in April the company said that facility is now on hold as it prioritizes other projects.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 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

Bejar is the first witness to take the stand and has argued that the company prioritized profits over safety by encouraging people to spend more and more time on Facebook and Instagram.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Early Wednesday, fire crews prioritized protecting structures as the inferno charged toward Highway 1.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The poultry industry has for years prioritized breeding bigger chickens, aiming to increase the amount of products harvested from each bird.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

For the first time at Duke, I prioritized my personal happiness.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

It has become indispensable for organizing my waking hours, prioritizing critical tasks and remembering important obligations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

With hiring managers prioritizing in-person work and AI able to tackle routine tasks that traditionally monopolized entry-level workers’ time, one could argue being agreeable is paramount.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Brazil's representative made a similar note, saying "the organization must play a constructive role, prioritizing the opening of channels for negotiation."

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The company also cut its research-and-development spending guidance, prioritizing its late-stage pipeline, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Human and animal foragers are constantly prioritizing and making effort-allocation decisions, even if only unconsciously.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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