in priority over

USAGE SUMMARY

"in priority over" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to indicate the importance of one thing relative to another. For example: "Allocating resources to health care must be done in priority over other government spending."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Regardless of the parents' origin, they supervise the education of their eldest children in priority over their other children.

Comparative Migration Studies

If you ask basic questions about what to do together, where to go, what they want, etc., they can become easily frustrated because they expected you to have all of their needs thoroughly accounted for and placed ahead in priority over yours.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

On 25 March a joint Army-Navy Central Agreement on South West Area Operations gave operations in New Guinea priority over those in the Solomon Islands campaign.

Wikipedia

But is it reasonable to give people in wheelchairs priority over people pushing buggies?

The Guardian - Opinion

The roads, meanwhile, provide a constant vicarious source of excitement and danger – particularly at a roundabout, where those racing in have priority over those trying to get around.

The Guardian - Books

SNP selection was prioritized based on functional importance, giving SNPs in coding regions priority over those in other regions.

BMC Cancer

In assigning ethnicity, the ethnicity reported in the Million Women Study took priority over that reported in HES data which was only used to supplement the Million Women Study information.

British Journal of Cancer

For hundreds of years, the assumption among doctors and midwives was that the life of a labouring woman in difficulty took priority over the foetus within.

The Guardian

According to the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), the name Scrotum humanum in principle had priority over Megalosaurus because it was published first.

Wikipedia

Humans in real life always take priority over humans in online life.

Huffington Post

When the banks demanded direct claims on DAF assets in the early 1990s – giving them priority over the bondholders in a bankruptcy — NTM didn't protest.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "in priority over" to clearly establish a hierarchy or order of importance between two or more items. It clarifies which element should be addressed or considered first.

Common error

Avoid using "in priority over" when simply stating a preference without implying a need for sequential action or resource allocation. "I prefer apples to oranges" doesn't require prioritization.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in priority over" functions as a prepositional phrase indicating a hierarchical relationship between two entities. It specifies that one item or action should be considered or addressed before another, highlighting relative importance. Ludwig confirms its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

7%

Reference

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in priority over" is a prepositional phrase used to indicate that one thing is more important or should be done before another. As confirmed by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and usable in written English, though not as common as alternatives like "more important than" or "takes precedence over". It's best suited for situations where a clear order of action or resource allocation needs to be established, particularly in professional, news, and academic contexts. While semantically similar, other constructions such as "preferred to" implies something being favored rather than intrinsically more important. In conclusion, using "in priority over" effectively relies on understanding its purpose in establishing precedence, especially to guide sequential decision-making.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

taking precedence over

Focuses on the action of exceeding in importance or rank.

having precedence over

Highlights the state of being more important or superior.

more important than

Directly states a greater level of importance.

ranking higher than

Emphasizes the ordinal position in a hierarchy of importance.

superseding

Highlights the act of replacing or overriding something in importance or effect.

outweighing

Focuses on the metaphorical weight or influence one thing has over another.

taking priority against

Emphasizes the choice to prioritize something instead of something else.

being preferred to

Highlights a choice or inclination towards one option over another.

considered paramount to

Stresses that something is seen as fundamentally more important.

given greater weight than

Indicates that something receives more consideration or influence.

FAQs

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

Use "in priority over" to show that one thing is more important or should be done before something else. For example, "Addressing safety concerns must be done "in priority over" aesthetic improvements".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "in priority over"?

You can use alternatives such as "taking precedence over", "more important than", or "ranking higher than" to express a similar meaning.

Is it always necessary to use "in priority over" when indicating importance?

No, simpler phrases like "more important than" or "takes precedence" can often convey the same meaning more directly. Use "in priority over" when you want to emphasize the order of action or resource allocation.

What's the difference between "in priority over" and "preferred to"?

"Preferred to" indicates a general liking or inclination, while "in priority over" specifically denotes a higher level of importance or a necessary sequence of actions. Preference is subjective, while priority often implies a more objective need.