priority
- 01 B1 Intermediate
the fact that something is more important than other things and needs to be done first.
the state or quality of being more important than other competing considerations. Uncountable in this abstract sense.
Simple“Safety is our top priority when we design new cars for families.”
In context“The management team decided to give priority to the software update, delaying the marketing campaign until the technical bugs were resolved.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
a specific task or goal that you think is the most important one to achieve.
a specific objective or concern that is regarded as more important than others. Countable in this sense.
Simple“One of my main priorities this year is to save enough money for a house.”
In context“The government's legislative priorities for the coming session include healthcare reform and significant investment in renewable energy infrastructure.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the right of a vehicle to go before others at a junction or intersection.
the legal right of a road user to proceed before others. Often used with the verb 'give'.
Simple“You must give priority to any traffic coming from the right at the roundabout.”
In context“The new traffic regulations clarify that cyclists have priority over turning vehicles at this specific intersection to improve urban safety.”
Synonymsright of wayprecedence - 04 C1 Advanced
the state of being earlier in time or coming before something else.
the fact or condition of being earlier in time or of preceding something else in order.
Simple“The court had to decide which claim had priority based on the dates of the contracts.”
In context“In patent law, the principle of priority ensures that the individual who first files the invention is granted the legal rights over subsequent applicants.”
SynonymsprecedenceantecedenceAntonymsposteriority
Usage low priority
“It was currently putting a priority on delivering "mission-critical supplies" to the ship.”
“This has to be one of the top priorities for government.”
From Old French priorite, from Latin priōritās. Surface analysis: prior + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.