a high-priority task

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a high-priority task" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to a task that is of great importance and needs to be addressed before others. Example: "Completing the client proposal is a high-priority task that must be finished by the end of the day."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Instead, she said, use your first hour at work to concentrate on a high-priority task.

The New York Times

Ensuring the effectiveness and integrity of science-based policy-making is a high-priority task in Japan.

Science Magazine

The enhancement of traffic safety is a high-priority task for different government agencies over the world such as "National Transportation Safety Administration" (NTSA) in USA and "Observatoire National Interministériel de la Sécurité Routière" (ONISR) in France.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

In particular, a high-priority task is developed using non-conventional sliding mode control to guarantee safe reference parameters imposed by the task, e.g., keeping a load at a desired orientation (to prevent spill out in the case of liquids, or to reduce undue stresses that may compromise fragile items).

Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Given this background, an evaluation of people's perception of health care quality (and of patient safety) is a high-priority task, not least because a careful examination of factors that influence perceptions of health care quality could provide the basis for effective policy action aimed at improving access to services and the quality of national health care.

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Analyzing this large amount of data is a high priority task for many companies.

EURASIP Journal on Embedded Systems

The regular completion, update, and improvement of exposure databases for both the water and sewage network and the public and private buildings in any city, is a high priority task for which the needed economic resources should be allocated.

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science

Consequently, the search for such surrogate immunological assays has become a high priority task for the field.

Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy

Although treatment of depression is a high priority task in psychosomatic medicine as well as in psychiatry, there is a lack of studies on inpatient or day hospital treatment.

BMC Psychiatry

In conclusion, this remains a high priority task on our agenda - to find out which component of the genetic coding ambiguity has been minimized before (and outside of), and which after (and in co-evolution with) the development of translation machinery.

Biology Direct

There is rare information about land based litter sources and the "Development and improvement of the existing monitoring system to provide comparable data sets for pollutant loads (from direct discharges and river inputs)" is a high priority task of the "Black Sea Strategic Action Plan" (BSC, 2009).

Environmental Pollution

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When managing multiple responsibilities, clearly identify and address "a high-priority task" early in your work schedule to maintain focus and efficiency.

Common error

Avoid labeling every task as "a high-priority task", as it diminishes the phrase's impact and creates unnecessary stress. Reserve it for genuinely critical items.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a high-priority task" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It identifies a specific action item that demands immediate attention and resources, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

25%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a high-priority task" is a noun phrase used to describe an action item of great importance that requires immediate attention. Ludwig's analysis indicates that the phrase is grammatically correct and finds use across various professional and formal contexts, but is particularly frequent in scientific contexts. Although not extremely common, it serves to emphasize the need to focus on and complete a specific duty before others, but shouldn't be overused, because it loses it's strenght.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a top-priority item

Replaces "task" with "item", suggesting a specific thing needing attention, and uses "top" to emphasize importance.

a critical assignment

Substitutes "task" with "assignment", implying a required duty with significant consequences.

an urgent undertaking

Replaces "task" with "undertaking", indicating a project, and "high-priority" with "urgent", highlighting the need for immediate action.

a pressing matter

Replaces "task" with "matter", referring to a situation, and "high-priority" with "pressing", emphasizing the need for swift resolution.

a key responsibility

Substitutes "task" with "responsibility", indicating a duty, and "high-priority" with "key", underscoring importance.

a crucial objective

Replaces "task" with "objective", implying a goal, and "high-priority" with "crucial", emphasizing its vital nature.

an essential duty

Replaces "task" with "duty", signifying an obligation, and "high-priority" with "essential", highlighting its fundamental importance.

a significant undertaking

The focus is shifted to the importance of the task without necessarily implying immediacy.

a first-order activity

Replaces the common term with one that signals technical or formal categorization of importance.

a time-sensitive project

The altered phrase specifically highlights projects needing quick attention because of deadlines.

FAQs

How can I use "a high-priority task" in a sentence?

You can use "a high-priority task" to emphasize the importance of a specific duty. For example, "Completing the report is "a high-priority task" for this quarter."

What are some alternatives to "a high-priority task"?

Alternatives include "a top-priority item", "an urgent undertaking", or "a crucial objective", depending on the context.

What makes something "a high-priority task"?

A "a high-priority task" is an action item deemed critical due to its impact on overall goals, deadlines, or potential consequences if not addressed promptly.

How do I identify "a high-priority task" among many tasks?

Assess each task's impact, urgency, and dependencies. Those with significant consequences, tight deadlines, or that enable other critical tasks are likely "high priority".