# prioritize

> English word · Verb · IPA /pɹaɪˈɒɹ.ə.taɪz/ · frequency rank #19,424

## Definitions
1. To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things.
2. To arrange or list a group of things in order of priority or importance.
3. To rank something as having high priority.

## Etymology
From priority + -ize. First attested in 1967 as U.S. government jargon, becoming more widespread through the 1970s and ’80s, but still denounced as officialese by purists into the 1990s.

## Easily confused with
- **priorities** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/priorities-vs-prioritize)
- **prioritise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prioritise-vs-prioritize)

## Common misspellings (14)
`piroritize`, `pprioritize`, `prioirtize`, `prioriitze`, `prioritiez`, `prioritizze`, `priorittize`, `prioritzie`, `priorritize`, `priortiize`, `priroitize`, `proiritize`, `prrioritize`, `rpioritize`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prioritize