give priority
giv pry-OR-uh-tee
/ɡɪv praɪˈɒrəti/
To treat something as being more important than other things.
Used in management and planning to indicate the order of operations.
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'prior', meaning 'first'. For centuries, 'priority' was singular—you could only have one 'first' thing. Only in the 20th century did we start 'giving priorities' (plural).
Word relationships
- prioritize: Prioritize is the single-word verb form of this phrase.
- emphasize: Emphasize means to give special importance to something, but not necessarily in terms of order.
- neglect: Neglect is to fail to care for or give attention to something.
Commonly confused with
- take priority: Something 'takes priority' (it is naturally important); you 'give priority' (you choose to make it important).
Word family
- prior (adjective): Existing or coming before in time.
Collocations
- top priority
- high priority
- absolute priority
Idioms & expressions
- first things first
Example sentences
- "Emergency rooms must give priority to patients with life-threatening injuries." A hospital policy.
- "The new administration will give priority to education and healthcare spending." A government budget.
Memory hook
Think of a 'prior' (monk) who always goes 'first' in a procession. Put it first, give priority.
When not to use
In casual conversation, 'put first' is often more natural.
Fun facts
- The concept of having multiple 'priorities' is a relatively modern invention of the industrial age.
Related words
Explore more words
prioritize, allocate, precede, sequential, bestow, subordinate
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