What does prioritise mean?
To prioritise means to decide that one person, task, issue, or outcome deserves attention before others. The word is especially useful when resources or opportunities are limited, because it makes the act of ranking or giving precedence explicit. For example, an organisation may prioritise safety, a student may prioritise revision over leisure, and a product team may prioritise a critical bug over a minor feature. The verb can suggest careful planning, but it can also carry a slightly managerial or procedural tone, implying that competing matters have been assessed and placed in order. In British English it is usually spelled “prioritise”, while American English commonly uses “prioritize”.
verbTo treat something as more important than other things and give it attention or resources before them. It can also mean to arrange or handle matters so that a particular person, task, or outcome comes first.
- To regard something as more important and give it precedence in consideration or action.
- To arrange matters so that a particular person, task, or outcome is dealt with first.
"The team prioritised safety checks before increasing production."
"Managers must prioritise urgent requests while leaving routine work for later."
"The revised plan prioritises accessibility over aesthetic uniformity."
To prioritise is to make a deliberate choice about what matters first—and, inevitably, what can wait.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prioritise come from?
“Prioritise” is derived from “priority”, which comes from Latin prioritas, from prior, meaning “former” or “before”. The development reflects the idea of placing something earlier in a sequence of importance. The related English words include “prior”, “primacy”, and “principal”, all associated with the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How prioritise is actually used
The British spelling is “prioritise”; the American spelling is “prioritize”. The word is formal but common in business, technology, education, and public administration, where it often implies allocating limited time, money, or attention. It can sound managerial or procedural, so less direct alternatives may be preferable in casual conversation.
Easily confused with prioritise
“Prioritise” is a verb describing the act of giving something precedence, whereas “priority” is a noun naming the thing considered more important or the status of being given precedence.