prioritise
/praɪˈɒrɪtaɪz/
verb
Origin
Latin
prior — former, first
Overview
Meaning Now
- To treat something as being more important than other things
- To arrange items or tasks in order of importance
Language path
Latin → French → English
Earliest form
prioritize
Earliest period
20th century
Journey
The root 'prior' has been used in English since the 14th century to denote precedence, but the verbal form 'prioritize/prioritise' is a relatively modern development, becoming common in administrative and organizational contexts during the 20th century.
Evolution
- Latin
prior
“earlier, former”
Comparative form of 'prior', meaning 'more early'.
- English (Modern)
prioritise
“to assign priority to”
Derived from the noun 'priority' via the suffix '-ise/-ize'.
Connections
Word parts
prior
root
first, earlier
it
other
ise
suffix
verb-forming suffix
Related across languages
French
priorité
priority
Spanish
prioridad
priority
Italian
priorità
priority
Explore next
Related to prioritise
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.