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

While both providers can bypass geo-restrictions and deliver HD content, Surfshark’s faster speeds, unlimited device support and broad Netflix compatibility give it an edge for users who prioritize high-resolution streaming across multiple devices.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In nonprofit has shed about a quarter of its staff as the founder focuses the feminist organization on pushing back against the “tradwife” and manosphere movements that prioritize women’s roles as housewives.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

But you should prioritize paying down your credit-card bill for a couple of reasons.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 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

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

Related Words

• compute
• register
• set up