The meaning of PRIORITY is the quality or state of being prior. How to use priority in a sentence.

Repairing the plumbing is a priority task (= more important than other jobs). Banks normally give priority to large businesses when deciding on loans (= they deal with them first because they consider them …

PRIORITY definition: the state or quality of being earlier in time, occurrence, etc. See examples of priority used in a sentence.

Precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency. 2. a. An established right to precedence. b. An authoritative rating that establishes such precedence. 3. A preceding or coming …

If something is a priority, it is the most important thing you have to do or deal with, or must be done or dealt with before everything else you have to do. Being a parent is her first priority. The government's …

the right to precede others in order, rank, privilege, etc.; precedence. the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., esp. during a shortage. something given special …

Jan 20, 2026 · priority (countable and uncountable, plural priorities) An item's relative importance. He set his e-mail message's priority to high. A goal of a person or an organisation. She needs to get her …

Priority definition: Precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency.

There are ten meanings listed in OED's entry for the word priority, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Priority comes from the word prior, which means to come before something else. A priority is the concern, interest or desire that comes before all others.