by priority

USAGE SUMMARY

"by priority" is correct and commonly used in written English.
It is used to indicate something is being done or considered in order of importance or urgency. Example: The project tasks will be completed by priority, with the most crucial ones being done first.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Next, he determined three search areas, ranking them by priority.

The New Yorker

The chart could be ordered either chronologically or by priority as defined by the newspaper's editors.

The New York Times

You've promised to accomplish 15 different tasks on Day 1; let's sort them by priority.

The New York Times

Notifications from any number of apps can now be filtered by priority on an app-by-app basis.

The Guardian - Tech

Between recent workout sessions with clients, she drove to the post office to send the application by priority mail because she wants to begin her new life A.S.A.P.

The New York Times - Sports

One store on the Upper East Side said it would cost $21 to send an eight-pound package by Priority Mail to Old Greenwich, Conn.

The New York Times

Daniel DeFrancesco, executive director of the New York City Board of Elections, said those voters were sent a second ballot by priority mail.

The New York Times

You can even name the person, using an onscreen keyboard; if you register more than one person, you can rank them by priority.

The New York Times - Tech

Second step: Descending arrangement of the pieces by priority (weights).

Journal of Industrial Engineering International

You set your rules, order them by priority and you're good to go.

TechCrunch

Well-being weighted by priority as just specified is sometimes called "weighted well-being".

SEP

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In project management, state that deliverables will be tackled "by priority" to manage expectations and resource allocation effectively.

Common error

Avoid using "by priority" when simply stating that something is important; instead, use it to specify an order or method of execution. Saying "This task is by priority" is incorrect; instead, say "This task will be handled by priority" or "This task is a high priority".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "by priority" functions primarily as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to describe how an action is performed. As Ludwig AI explains, it specifies that actions are taken or decisions are made according to a ranking of importance. Ludwig shows us the wide variety of examples in news, science, and general writing.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

40%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "by priority" is a very common and grammatically correct prepositional phrase used to indicate that tasks or items are handled in order of their importance. As Ludwig AI points out, it's widely used across various contexts, including news, science, and general writing, although it appears most frequently in scientific contexts. When using this phrase, ensure you are specifying a method or order, not just stating that something is important. For alternatives, consider phrases like "according to priority" or "in order of priority".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

according to priority

This alternative uses "according to" to emphasize that the order is determined by the level of importance.

based on priority

This alternative uses "based on" to highlight that priority is the foundation for the decision or action.

in order of priority

This phrase specifies that things are arranged or dealt with sequentially, from most to least important.

prioritized by

This uses a passive voice to emphasize that something has been actively prioritized.

with priority given to

This alternative highlights that priority is being intentionally assigned or considered.

high priority

This alternative focuses on assigning a high level of importance.

on a priority basis

This emphasizes that actions are taken or decisions are made considering the importance of something else first.

prioritizing

This focuses on the action of assigning priority.

ranked by importance

This is different from the keyword since ranking is explicit.

importance-based

This uses an adjective form to describe something that is determined by importance.

FAQs

How can I use "by priority" in a sentence?

You can use "by priority" to indicate the order in which tasks or items will be addressed based on their importance. For example, "We will address customer support tickets "by priority", starting with the most urgent issues".

What's the difference between "by priority" and "based on priority"?

"By priority" indicates a method or order, while "based on priority" implies that the decision or action is founded on the level of importance. They are largely interchangeable, but "based on priority" might emphasize the rationale more directly.

What can I say instead of "by priority"?

You can use alternatives like "according to priority", "in order of priority", or "prioritized by" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "handled by priority"?

While understandable, a more grammatically sound phrase would be "handled "by priority"". The use of "by" correctly indicates the method or order in which something is managed.