priority
Americannoun
-
the state or quality of being earlier in time, occurrence, etc.
-
the right to precede others in order, rank, privilege, etc.; precedence.
-
the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., especially during a shortage.
-
something given special attention.
adjective
noun
-
the condition of being prior; antecedence; precedence
-
the right of precedence over others
-
something given specified attention
my first priority
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of priority
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French priorite, from Medieval Latin priōritās; see prior 1, -ity
Explanation
When a group or a person cares about one thing over all others, that’s the top priority. “After the flood, finding a place to live became their first priority.” Priority comes from the word prior, which means to come before something else. A priority is the concern, interest or desire that comes before all others. “His first priority was to establish his career and get married later.” “When seeking the perfect wave, Jeff and Wayne made it their priority to be the first surfers on the beach.” "The new CEO's top priority was firing her predecessor's hires."
Vocabulary lists containing priority
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 8
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Bush's Address on 9/11
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Rather, conveyed the Daily News, he was simply “high on their priority list of persons they wish to interrogate.”
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
A White House spokeswoman said Trump’s priority has been “to unleash the state’s abundance of reliable, affordable, and secure energy by increasing production and building critical infrastructure to lower prices in Alaska.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
Rubis said its priority had been to "maintain secure and healthy fuel stocks" but as stocks were replaced with new deliveries purchased at lower wholesale prices, those reductions would "progressively flow through the supply chain".
From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026
Additionally, investing in artificial intelligence remains a priority for Microsoft.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
My top priority was looking out for Sasha and Malia.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
