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Definition of prioritize

prioritize

/praɪˈɔːr.ə.taɪz/
(UK: prioritise)
pri · or · i · tize
Past Simple:prioritized
•
Past Participle:prioritized
•
Present Participle:prioritizing
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prioritize Lexical Profile

prioritize Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To designate or treat something as being more important than other things.

Example

"The hospital decided to prioritize emergency patients over routine checkups."

2

To determine the order for dealing with a series of items or tasks according to their relative importance.

Example

"Effective project managers know how to prioritize their daily responsibilities to meet tight deadlines."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

prior
prioress
prioritization
prioritize
priority
priory
prism

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the mid-20th century in American English from the noun 'priority' plus the verb-forming suffix '-ize', ultimately tracing back to Latin 'prior' (meaning 'former' or 'superior').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Prioritize. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/prioritize
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