prioritise

USAGE SUMMARY

'prioritise' is a correct and usable word in written English.
You can use it when you want to talk about establishing a hierarchy of importance or ordering tasks by their priority. For example, "We need to prioritise our resources to ensure we can meet our deadlines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The protests were triggered by the Ukrainian government's decision to prioritise relations with Russia over integration into the European Union.

The Guardian

That doesn't sound like a party that really wants to prioritise a national health service that's publicly funded".

The Guardian

The critically reviled The Mysteries of Laura is holding strong with about 8 million viewers, though its demographics skew old, which could prove troublesome if NBC has other shows it wants to prioritise.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Comparing the need to prioritise a safer planet above an extra cappuccino on the way to work wasn't her finest hour; even in this part of London.

The Guardian

Related: The human right to water: Salvadoran NGOs leading a global campaign While the Lisbon Charter puts significant responsibility on governments to take a lead and prioritise water, sanitation and waste-water services, and emphasises the important role of regulators, it also highlights the role and responsibilities of service providers and consumers.

The Guardian

If families plan eventually to see all four of these films, they might prioritise the two with a strong Christmas hook, as they will both feel like stale leftovers after Christmas Day.

The Guardian - Film

Spain and Germany prioritise training their young managers, while England focuses on the glitz of the Premier League and ignores the grassroots game.

The Guardian - Sport

How do you work against the financialisation and managerialism that has seeped into the university, forcing us to prioritise 'rendement' (efficiency), harmonisation, and profit, rather than creativity, education, and critical thinking?

The Guardian

Another is to prioritise the tasks so that the highest value work is delivered first.

The Guardian

In its conclusions the committee recommended that DfID "should prioritise investment in local health infrastructure of developing countries in receipt of UK Aid so that there is a better capability to respond quickly to emerging public health emergencies".

The Guardian

They might well prioritise soil types over Starbucks, wells over Walmarts and the state of land degradation over panoramic street views of American towns.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "prioritise" in a professional context, ensure that the priorities align with the overall strategic goals of the organization. Use data and reasoning to justify prioritization decisions.

Common error

Avoid using "prioritise" excessively without providing clear reasoning. Overuse diminishes the impact and can lead to ambiguity. Instead, offer a transparent rationale for the ranking to maintain clarity and credibility.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "prioritise" is as a transitive verb, indicating the act of assigning importance or preference to something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it denotes establishing a hierarchy or ordering tasks based on priority. For example, "We need to "prioritise" our resources."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

30%

Science

25%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "prioritise" is a verb used to indicate the act of ranking items or tasks in order of importance. As Ludwig AI points out, it is a correct and usable word in written English. It is commonly used in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts, with a neutral to professional register. To use it effectively, clearly justify why certain items should be given precedence. Common errors include overuse without clear justification. When using "prioritise", consider alternatives like "set priorities" or "give precedence to" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

set priorities

Focuses on the act of establishing a system of importance, without explicitly stating the act of ranking.

rank in order of importance

Emphasizes the arrangement of items based on their level of significance.

give precedence to

Highlights the act of allowing something to come before others in terms of attention or action.

emphasize the importance of

Stresses the significance of something, leading to its prioritization.

place emphasis on

Similar to 'emphasize the importance of', but uses a slightly different structure.

focus on

Indicates concentrating efforts or attention on specific items or tasks.

favour

To show partiality towards something, leading to it being prioritized.

highlight

To emphasize or make prominent, thus giving implied priority.

value

To consider something important which leads to giving precedence.

stress

Highlights the importance or urgency, indirectly implying the need to prioritize.

FAQs

How to use "prioritise" in a sentence?

You can use "prioritise" to indicate that something should be given more importance than something else. For example, "The company should "prioritise" customer satisfaction over short-term profits."

What can I say instead of "prioritise"?

You can use alternatives like "emphasize the importance of", "give precedence to", or "focus on" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "prioritise" or "prioritize"?

"Prioritise" and "prioritize" are both correct, but "prioritise" is more common in British English, while "prioritize" is more common in American English. The choice depends on your audience and writing style.

What's the difference between "prioritise" and "delegate"?

"Prioritise" means to rank tasks in order of importance, while "delegate" means to assign tasks to others. You might "prioritise" a task as high importance, then delegate it to a team member to complete.