priority
pry-OR-uh-tee
/praɪˈɔːrəti/
The state or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others.
In dispatch, priority levels dictate order and speed of resource deployment.
The story behind the word. Priority entered Middle English from Old French priorité, derived from Medieval Latin prioritas, from Latin prior (former, first, preceding). For centuries, 'priority' was a singular concept—there could only be ONE thing that was first.
Word relationships
- precedence: Precedence refers to formal rank order of processing; priority often emphasizes importance.
- urgency: Urgency focuses on time-sensitivity, whereas priority balances urgency and impact.
- low priority: Of minor urgency or importance.
- postponement: Deferring action to a later time.
Commonly confused with
- posterior: Posterior refers to coming behind or after in position or time; priority means coming first.
Word family
- prioritize (verb): To arrange or handle items in order of importance.
- prioritizing (participle): The process of establishing priority order.
Collocations
- top priority
- high priority
- assign priority
- priority dispatch
Idioms & expressions
- first and foremost
Example sentences
- "Calls reporting active structure fires are assigned top priority over property damage reports." Call center operations
- "The chief emphasized that officer safety remains our highest priority during tactical responses." Public safety leadership
Memory hook
PRIOR-ity: PRIOR means coming BEFORE everything else. What comes first.
When not to use
Avoid when referring to mere personal preference without ranking importance.
Fun facts
- Until the 20th century, the word 'priorities' in the plural did not exist in English; people spoke only of 'priority' as a singular absolute concept.
Explore more words
give priority, prioritize, triage, dispatch, fast-track, supremacy
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