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

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Etymology

Origin of prioritize

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

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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

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

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

After a cancer diagnosis, two L.A. musicians turned their Topanga A-frame cabin into a sanctuary, reshaping every room — and garden — to prioritize serenity, views and healing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Let’s prioritize, shall we? To start, you seem to be in a spot of trouble.”

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Trans*cendent prioritizes queer women DJs who create sets inspired by people on the dance floor instead of just hitting play on pre-created playlists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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

“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

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 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

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

“Instead of focusing on homeownership, many are prioritizing financial freedom and debt-free living.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

She wants to get rid of the churn-and-burn cycle of campaigns prioritizing immediate national victories over long-term local sustainability.

From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Most importantly, this announcement increases our confidence that management is prioritizing the health of the franchise over short-term profit optimization,” Tarlowe said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 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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Related Words

• order
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