priority

priority

I. pri‧or‧i‧ty¹ 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.