prioritize

pri·or·i·tize  (pr-ôr-tz, -r-)

v. pri·or·i·tized, pri·or·i·tiz·ing, pri·or·i·tiz·es Usage Problem

v.tr.

To arrange or deal with in order of importance.

v.intr.

To put things in order of importance: "Everyone should take time to be alone, to prioritize and meditate" (Art Linkletter).

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[priorit(y) + -ize.]

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pri·ori·ti·zation (-t-zshn) n.

Usage Note: It can be argued that prioritize serves a useful function in providing a single word to mean "arrange according to priority," but it is often regarded as corporate or bureaucratic jargon. Resistance to prioritize, however, has fallen dramatically in recent decades. In 1976, 97 percent of the Usage Panel rejected its use in the phrase a first attempt to prioritize the tasks facing the new administration. By 1997, however, 53 percent of the Panel approved the use of prioritize in the sentence Overwhelmed with work, the lawyer was forced to prioritize his caseload. This suggests that, like finalize, prioritize is rapidly securing a place in our everyday vocabulary. See Usage Note at finalize.

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prioritize, prioritise [praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪz]

vb (tr)

1. to arrange (items to be attended to) in order of their relative importance

2. to give priority to or establish as a priority

prioritization , prioritisation n

Thesaurus

Verb

1.

prioritize - assign a priority to; "we have too many things to do and must prioritize" prioritise grade, rate, rank, place, range, order - assign a rank or rating to; "how would you rank these students?"; "The restaurant is rated highly in the food guide"

Translations

prioritize [praɪˈɒrɪtaɪz] VT (esp US) → priorizar

prioritize [praɪˈɒrɪtaɪz] prioritise (British) vt

(= give importance to) → privilégier

(= place in order of importance) [+ tasks] → ordonner selon ses priorités

prioritize

vt

(= arrange in order of priority) → der Priorität nach ordnen

(= make a priority) → Priorität einräumen (+dat)