priority
Americannoun
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priorities
plural
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the state or quality of being earlier in time, occurrence, etc.
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the right to precede others in order, rank, privilege, etc.; precedence.
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the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., especially during a shortage.
-
something given special attention.
adjective
noun
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the condition of being prior; antecedence; precedence
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the right of precedence over others
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something given specified attention
my first priority
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of priority
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French priorite, from Medieval Latin priōritās; see prior 1, -ity
Explanation
When a group or a person cares about one thing over all others, that’s the top priority. “After the flood, finding a place to live became their first priority.” Priority comes from the word prior, which means to come before something else. A priority is the concern, interest or desire that comes before all others. “His first priority was to establish his career and get married later.” “When seeking the perfect wave, Jeff and Wayne made it their priority to be the first surfers on the beach.” "The new CEO's top priority was firing her predecessor's hires."
Vocabulary lists containing priority
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
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List 8
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Bush's Address on 9/11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
These hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly, including beyond the immediate area — and the safety and security of department personnel and their families remain the highest priority.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
But PHP2Shell was viewed as a priority and AI’s proficiency at hacking prompted worries that criminals could exploit PHP2Shell on many websites before they can be patched.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
"The safety and security of Department personnel and their families remain our highest priority," he added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has made integrating AI into the armed forces a key priority, saying the Trump administration will become an "AI-first warfighting force".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
First cartographers, then mathematicians, then anatomists, and then astronomers began to play the game, which was inherently competitive and immediately gave rise to priority disputes and, more slowly, to eponymic naming.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
He said this government's renewed focus on social care – Andy Burnham made it one of his key priorities when he became prime minister – was welcome.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
One of its priorities will be to quickly establish an American-made pipeline of cheap, unmanned systems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Fernandez suggests that placing excessive emphasis on remembering precise details could work against the brain's changing priorities.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026
Raman says she believes that infrastructure needs an overhaul and has included it under her top priorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Your priorities are your two jobs,” I repeat, my voice shaking.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
