prioritize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
prioritizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
prioritized,
past participle, past
-
prioritizing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
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:
He defended the decision to prioritize production of the outgoing RAV4 last year, saying the 2025 vehicle remained “red hot” even as the newly updated one was right around the corner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Our mission—to entertain the world—is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources,” they told employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
But the Treasury noted Tuesday that the bank "failed to prioritize" compliance despite agreeing to the 2024 order.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
He laid out an affordability plan, which he refers to as “Califordable,” that he would prioritize if elected governor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
I’ve been trying to prioritize everything left to do.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
When the investor raised his eyebrow and asked about a competitor with even higher returns, Stevens scoffed and said there was a small window to get into his fund, which he said prioritizes institutional investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
“Their skin care prioritizes overall health, if that makes sense,” Sarah Draves, 27, said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 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
Newsom said in his veto message Wednesday that his administration has worked to address wrongs committed against tribes and has prioritized respectful “government-to-government dialogue.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 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
Officials also changed how patients experiencing ectopic pregnancy symptoms are prioritized when they call for an ambulance, leading to faster response times.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 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
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
Right now, I think many are prioritizing the more urgent short-term operational challenges because if those don’t get addressed the long-term growth goals are probably moot.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
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
“The data shows a clear shift in what success looks like for today’s renters. Instead of focusing on homeownership, many are prioritizing financial freedom and debt-free living,” Chase Harrington, president of Entrata, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Overseeing an endowment of about $150.3 million, Ryan is prioritizing annual support for free admission and programming while raising endowment funds for staff positions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It works out contingencies and relationships and sorts through the mountain of information we get from the outside world, prioritizing it and putting flags on things that demand our immediate attention.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
