take priorities over

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "take priorities over" is not correct in standard English usage.
The correct expression is "take precedence over," which is used to indicate that one thing is more important than another. Example: "In this project, safety must take precedence over speed."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This sounds like a very difficult challenge and it is, but children's needs must take priorities over parents' squabbles.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

First, roads should take priority over rail.

The Economist

Paid work could take priority over other very important crime.

The Guardian

Halting the bloodshed must take priority over apportioning blame.

The New York Times

(And it is not necessarily wrong for concerns about openness to take priority over science).

The New Yorker

All of a sudden, food and coffee will start to take priority over your essays.

Independent

Family barbeques and water sports take priority over political news in the summer months.

The Economist

It says fixing Egypt's ailing economy should take priority over promoting Islamic mores.

The Economist

Some creditors take priority over others, so tax, for instance, will be paid before wages.

Independent

He said a focus on counterterrorism should take priority over nation-building.

The New York Times

What they all appear to agree on, sadly, is that talks should take priority over justice.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "take priorities over". Instead, use the correct and more common phrase "take precedence over" or "take priority over" to express that something is more important.

Common error

The phrase "take priorities over" incorrectly combines the verb "take" with the plural noun "priorities" and the preposition "over". Always use "take priority over" or "take precedence over" to maintain grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "take priorities over" is intended to express the concept of one thing being more important than another. However, the correct idiomatic expression is either "take priority over" or "take precedence over". As Ludwig AI points out, the usage of "priorities" is grammatically incorrect in this context.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "take priorities over" is grammatically incorrect. The correct expressions are "take priority over" or "take precedence over". Although examples of its use exist, as shown by Ludwig, it's advisable to avoid this phrase in both formal and informal writing. The phrase's intended meaning is to indicate that one thing is more important than another, and using the correct phrasing ensures clarity and credibility. As pointed out by Ludwig AI, opting for the correct alternatives significantly improves the grammatical accuracy and overall quality of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take precedence over

Emphasizes a formal order of importance, where one thing outranks another.

supersede

Suggests that something replaces or overrules something else, rendering the latter obsolete or less important.

outweigh

Highlights that the importance or impact of one thing is greater than another.

have more weight than

Indicates a difference in importance or influence between two things.

be superior to

States that one thing is of higher quality or rank than another.

override

Implies a forceful displacement of one thing by another, especially in decision-making.

trump

Signifies that something is more powerful or significant, often in a decisive way.

take priority

Suggests a more direct and common way of expressing that something should be addressed first.

be paramount to

Highlights something as being of the utmost importance.

rank higher than

Indicates a hierarchical order where one thing is positioned above another.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say something is more important than something else?

The correct phrases are "take priority over" or "take precedence over". The phrase "take priorities over" is grammatically incorrect.

Is it ever okay to use "take priorities over" in writing?

No, it is not advisable to use "take priorities over" in formal or informal writing. It's better to opt for grammatically sound alternatives like "take priority over" or "take precedence over".

What does "take precedence over" mean?

"Take precedence over" means to be more important than something else and therefore be dealt with first. It signifies a higher priority or rank.

What are some alternatives to "take priority over" that I can use?

Besides "take precedence over", you could also use phrases like "outweigh", "supersede", or "override", depending on the specific context.