prīˈȯrəd.ē, -rətē, -i noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English priorite, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin prioritat-, prioritas, from Latin prior former, prior + -itat-, -itas -ity
1. : the quality or state of being prior: as
a.
(1) : antecedence in time
(2) : precedence in date or position of publication — used of taxa; see law of priority
(3) : the quality or state of being prior logically, methodologically, or epistemologically
b. : superiority in rank, position, privilege, or other quality
the priority in law of liens on a property
2. : something that is prior or that conveys precedence: as
a. : a wartime preferential rating assigned by a government for the delivery of products according to the relative need of each for national defense and the proportionate allocation of scarce materials
b. : any preferential rating assigning rights to scarce products or materials, limited services, transportation, or surplus property or prescribing the order in which assignments are to be attended to
c. : something requiring or meriting attention prior to competing alternatives
a priority project
high on our list of priorities is a trip to New York