something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things
The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
priority
noun
1 (plural priorities) something that you think is more important than other things and that you must do first:
Education is a top priority.
2 (no plural) being more important than somebody or something or coming before somebody or something else:
We give priority to families with small children.
Emergency cases take priority over other patients in hospital.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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.
• • •
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.
• • •
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.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
priority
priority /praɪˈɒr.ɪ.ti/ US /-ˈɔːr.ə.ţi/
noun [C or U]
something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things:
The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority.
My first/top priority is to find somewhere to live.
You have to learn to get your priorities right/straight (= decide which are the most important jobs or problems and deal with them first).
Mending the lights is a priority task (= more important than other jobs).
Banks normally give priority to large businesses when deciding on loans (= They deal with them first because they consider them most important).
Official business requirements obviously take/have priority over personal requests (= Official business matters will be dealt with first).
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
priority / praɪˈɒr.ɪ.ti / / -ˈɔːr.ə.t̬i / noun [ C or U ]
B2 something that is very important and must be dealt with before other things:
The management did not seem to consider office safety to be a priority.
My first/top priority is to find somewhere to live.
You have to learn to get your priorities right/straight (= decide which are the most important jobs or problems and deal with them first) .
Mending the lights is a priority task (= more important than other jobs) .
Banks normally give priority to large businesses when deciding on loans (= they deal with them first because they consider them most important) .
Official business requirements obviously take/have priority over personal requests (= official business matters will be dealt with first) .
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
priority
[praɪɒ̱rɪti, AM -ɔ͟ːr-]
♦♦♦
priorities
1) N-COUNT If something is a priority, it is the most important thing you have to do or deal with, or must be done or dealt with before everything else you have to do.
Being a parent is her first priority...
The government's priority is to build more power plants...
Getting your priorities in order is a good way to not waste energy on meaningless pursuits.
2) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR to n If you give priority to something or someone, you treat them as more important than anything or anyone else.
The school will give priority to science, maths and modern languages...
The proposals deserve support as they give priority to the needs of children.
Syn:
give precedence
3) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR over n If something takes priority or has priority over other things, it is regarded as being more important than them and is dealt with first.
The fight against inflation took priority over measures to combat the deepening recession...
I disagree with the premise that economic development has priority over the environment.
Syn:
take precedence
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
priority
pri·or·i·ty /praɪˈorəti/ noun, pl -ties
1 [count] : something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first
• Reorganizing the sales force will be a top priority for the new president.
• Getting the work done on time is a priority for me.
• Exercising is not very high on her list of priorities. [=it's not among the things she thinks are important]
2 priorities [plural] US : the things that someone cares about and thinks are important
• He has terrible priorities. [=he doesn't care about the things that are truly important]
• You need to get your priorities straight and go back to school. [=you need to realize that going back to school is the most important thing for you to do]
• She decided to go to the party instead of studying? Where are her priorities?
3 [noncount] : the condition of being more important than something or someone else and therefore coming or being dealt with first
• These problems are important and should be given priority (over others). [=they should be dealt with first]
• I know you want to buy a new stereo, but right now, saving for college has to take priority.
• Health concerns should have priority over comfort. [=health concerns are more important than comfort]