prioritize
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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
-
prioritizesimple
-
prioritizessimple
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have prioritizedperfect
-
has prioritizedperfect
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am prioritizingprogressive
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are prioritizingprogressive
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is prioritizingprogressive
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have been prioritizingperfect progressive
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has been prioritizingperfect progressive
Past
-
prioritizedsimple
-
had prioritizedperfect
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was prioritizingprogressive
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were prioritizingprogressive
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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.
Benchmark analyst Michael Albanese wrote Wednesday that the better-than-expected quarterly results were driven by a “deliberate shift” to prioritize volume at the expense of gross profit per unit.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
Many teens now prioritize coursework, test prep and other pursuits to impress college-admissions officers, but a lack of work experience is worsening their employment prospects after graduating.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
Aside from being terribly boring and overlong, “Cars” represents Pixar’s first blatant step toward becoming a capitalist behemoth, an animation studio that would continue to prioritize money over media to this day.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
“The science is really clear that we can achieve our goals with fewer acres and fewer dollars if we prioritize better than we have done,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 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
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.
