- Have you ever wondered whether you should “make,” “give,” or “set” a priority?
- Do you know which preposition naturally follows “priority” when comparing two different tasks?
- Are you looking for professional ways to describe urgent tasks in a business or academic environment?
Understanding Priority Collocations is essential for achieving natural fluency in English. In professional and academic settings, the word “priority” is a “heavy-lifter”—it communicates urgency, organization, and importance. By learning which words naturally “hang out” with priority, you stop translating from your native language and start thinking like a native speaker, which significantly reduces language anxiety and boosts your writing precision.
Essential Collocations using PRIORITY as a Noun
In modern English, “priority” functions almost exclusively as a noun. It refers to the state of being more important than others or the right to take precedence. To use it correctly, we must look at the verbs and adjectives that typically accompany it.
Verbs that Frequently Pair with Priority
In a professional context, how you “act” upon a priority is defined by the verb you choose.
- Give priority to: To treat something as more important than other things.
Example: The government must give priority to renewable energy projects this year. - Set/Establish priorities: To decide which tasks are the most important.
Example: Before we start the meeting, we need to set our priorities for the quarter. - Take priority (over): When one thing becomes more important than another.
Example: Safety concerns should always take priority over speed of production. - Get your priorities straight: (Idiomatic/Informal) To realize what is actually important.
Example: You need to get your priorities straight and focus on your health. - Assign a priority: To label a task with a level of importance, often in software or project management.
Example: Please assign a high priority to the login bug fix.
Adjectives used to Describe Priority
Adjectives help us define the “rank” or “urgency” of the priority.
- Top / Highest priority: The single most important thing.
Example: Customer satisfaction is our top priority. - Immediate priority: Something that needs attention right now.
Example: Our immediate priority is to stop the water leak. - Competing / Conflicting priorities: When two or more things need attention at the same time, causing a dilemma.
Example: Managing competing priorities is a key skill for any manager. - Low priority: Something that is not urgent.
Example: That feature request is a low priority for the current release.
Priority as a Noun Adjunct (Adjective-like Usage)
Sometimes “priority” is placed before another noun to describe it, acting like an adjective. This is very common in travel and logistics.
- Priority boarding: Getting on a plane before other passengers.
Example: Families with small children are usually offered priority boarding. - Priority seating: Seats reserved for the elderly or disabled.
Example: Please vacate priority seating if a person in need boards the bus. - Priority mail: A faster shipping service.
Example: I sent the contract via priority mail so it arrives tomorrow.
The Master Summary Table
| Collocation | Part of Speech | Quick Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Give priority to | Verb + Noun + Prep | To treat as most important |
| Top priority | Adj + Noun | The number one concern |
| Take priority over | Verb + Noun + Prep | To be more important than something else |
| Set priorities | Verb + Noun | To organize tasks by importance |
| Conflicting priorities | Adj + Noun | Multiple urgent tasks that clash |
| Priority boarding | Noun Adjunct + Noun | Early access/service |
Common Mistakes: Natural vs Unnatural
Many learners make the mistake of translating directly from their native tongue. Avoid these common “English as a Second Language” pitfalls to sound more like a native professional.
| Do Not Say | Say This |
|---|---|
| I have much priority. | This is a high priority for me. |
| We must make priority to this. | We must give priority to this. |
| That is my most priority. | That is my top priority. |
| This takes priority on that. | This takes priority over that. |
Contextual Story
“In our team meeting today, our manager emphasized that we need to set our priorities for the upcoming product launch. She noted that while several competing priorities are currently on our plate, security updates must take priority over aesthetic changes. As a result, the developers have been asked to give priority to the firewall patches. Our top priority remains a stable user experience, so we will treat all other requests as low priority until the launch is complete.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Priority Collocations
Is “priority” a verb?
No, “priority” is strictly a noun. If you want to use a verb form, you should use “prioritize.” For example: “We need to prioritize these tasks” (verb) vs “We need to give priority to these tasks” (noun phrase).
What is the difference between “top priority” and “high priority”?
“Top priority” usually refers to the single most important item on a list (Number 1). “High priority” refers to any item that is very important and needs urgent attention, but there might be several items in this category.
Do I say “priority to” or “priority for”?
The standard collocation is “give priority to” something. However, you can say “This is a priority for our company.” Generally, use “to” when an action is being directed toward a specific task or person.
Can I use “priority” in the plural?
Yes, “priorities” is very common when referring to a list of things that are important. For example: “I have too many priorities right now and don’t know where to start.”
What does “shifting priorities” mean?
This is a common business phrase meaning that what was once considered important has changed. It usually implies that resources or focus are moving from one project to another.
I remember a manager once telling me, 'You need to prioritize this,' and I wasn't sure if he meant 'make it a priority' or 'give it priority.' Now I understand the nuances better. Thanks for breaking it down!
This was really helpful for the positive usage of 'priority.' What about its opposite? Are there collocations for 'low priority' or 'secondary importance' that are also 'heavy-lifters' in professional settings?
That's an excellent follow-up question, Sanjay! While 'priority' itself is a heavy-lifter, concepts of lesser importance also have their strong collocations. For 'low priority,' you might say to 'deprioritize a task,' 'assign a low priority to,' or consider something 'of secondary importance,' 'non-critical,' or 'a secondary consideration.' We'll keep this in mind for a future article discussing task management vocabulary – thanks for the idea!
Such a clear explanation! Thank you, Translateen!
Going back to Ling's question about 'make a priority' vs 'give priority to': Does 'make' always imply a conscious decision, whereas 'give' could be more about an existing policy or natural inclination? Or am I overthinking it?
That's a very insightful distinction, Kenji, and you're certainly not overthinking it! While there's often overlap, 'make something a priority' does strongly emphasize the act of *deciding* or *designating* something as important, often implying a new focus. 'Give priority to' can certainly refer to an existing policy or a consistent action, indicating how something *is treated* or always *has been treated*. Both are active, but 'make' often feels like the initial decision, while 'give' can be the ongoing application. Great observation!
This is so practical! I had a presentation yesterday and I was struggling to say that customer satisfaction was our main focus. Now I know I could have said, 'We give priority to customer satisfaction' or 'We need to set customer satisfaction as our top priority.' Feeling more confident already!
That's fantastic to hear, Chloe! Applying what you learn immediately is one of the best ways to solidify your understanding and boost your confidence. You absolutely nailed those examples – they are both excellent ways to express your point professionally. Keep identifying opportunities to use these new collocations, and you'll see your fluency soar!
I'm always looking for ways to improve my academic writing. The point about 'writing precision' really resonates. Knowing these collocations helps avoid wordy sentences and makes my arguments sound much stronger. Thank you!
The article states 'priority' functions almost exclusively as a noun. So, is 'make something a priority' an example of how a verb-noun pair can create a strong, idiomatic expression, even if 'priority' itself isn't acting as a verb?
You've articulated that perfectly, Ahmed! Yes, exactly. 'Make something a priority' is a classic example of a phrasal construction where the verb 'make' takes a direct object ('something') and then uses 'a priority' as a predicative noun phrase. This structure allows us to express the action of *designating* something as important, despite 'priority' itself remaining a noun. It showcases the richness and flexibility of English verb-noun collocations!
In Italian, we often say 'dare priorità a' (give priority to). It's interesting how similar it is to the English! But the idea of 'making' or 'setting' a priority feels more distinctly English to me. Great insights!
I liked the example with 'give priority to renewable energy.' Can you give one more example for 'set a priority' in a business context? Like, for a team meeting or project?
Absolutely, Lars! For 'set a priority' in a business context: 'During our project kick-off meeting, we need to **set a clear priority** on customer feedback for the first phase.' This emphasizes the act of establishing what's most important for a particular stage or goal. Another might be: 'The board voted to **set a priority** on expanding into new markets next quarter.'
Excellent article! So clear and concise. It's these kinds of specific examples that really make a difference for us learners.