I. pri ‧ or ‧ i ‧ ty 1 S2 W2 AC /praɪˈɒrəti, praɪˈɒrɪti $ -ˈɔːr-/ BrE AmE noun ( plural priorities )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ priority , ↑ prioritization ; verb : ↑ prioritize ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the thing that you think is most important and that needs attention before anything else:
The club’s priority is to win the League.
first/top/main priority
The children are our first priority.
After several burglaries in the area, security is now a high priority (=very important and needing attention soon) .
With so little money available, repairs must remain a low priority (=not important and not needing attention soon) .
The customer is high on our list of priorities.
List your tasks in order of priority (=most important first) .
2 . [uncountable] the right to be given attention first and before other people or things
priority over
Buses should have priority over other road users.
A young person who has finished the course will be given priority over one who has not.
I want to start work on the garden but the house must take priority.
3 . get your priorities right ( also get your priorities straight American English ) to know what is most important and needs attention first:
We need to get our priorities right.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ adjectives
▪ a high priority (=very important)
Right now, the environment is a high priority.
▪ an urgent priority
He sees these negotiations as an urgent priority.
▪ a low priority (=not very important)
At that time, architecture was a low priority.
▪ the top/main/number one priority
Controlling spending is his top priority.
▪ the first priority
The first priority for most unemployed people is obtaining a job.
▪ the overriding priority (=the most important one)
The reduction of inflation must be the Government’s overriding priority.
▪ sb’s immediate priority (=which must be dealt with immediately)
Their immediate priority was to find somewhere to sleep that night.
■ phrases
▪ a list/set of priorities
Marriage isn’t very high on my list of priorities.
▪ in order of priority (=with the most important first)
They asked voters to list issues in order of priority.
■ verbs
▪ set priorities (=decide what the priorities are)
With any new project, it's important to set priorities.
▪ sort out your priorities (=decide which things are the most important as a way of dealing with a situation)
If you’ve got a lot of things to do, sort out your priorities.
▪ make something a priority
Lisa had a job, but she'd always made her family the priority.
▪ sb’s priorities change
As you get older, your priorities may change.
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ have priority
Couples may have to decide whose career has priority.
▪ get priority
The breakdown services say that women on their own get priority.
▪ take priority (=become the most important thing)
Winning the war took priority over everything else.
▪ give priority to somebody/something
The hospital always gives priority to emergency cases.
II. priority 2 BrE AmE adjective
before other people or things:
Members receive priority bookings and reduced ticket prices to all concerts.