deprioritize

Deprioritize is a verb meaning to reduce the priority or importance of something relative to other items. It involves moving an item lower in a list of tasks, features, projects, or goals, while not necessarily eliminating it from consideration. The word combines de- (reverse) with prioritize.

In practice, deprioritization is common in project management, product development, and operations. Teams may deprioritize features based on impact, effort, dependencies, or risk, placing them after higher-priority work in a backlog or sprint plan. In software and information systems, deprioritization can affect task scheduling, bug fixing, or search-result ranking, allowing critical items to take precedence.

A decision to deprioritize typically uses explicit criteria: expected value, urgency, resource availability, dependencies, and strategic alignment. Tools such as prioritization matrices, risk assessments, or backlog grooming sessions guide the process. The outcome is a reordered or filtered list where the deprioritized item is scheduled later or revisited less frequently than higher-priority items.

Implications include better focus and resource allocation but potential downsides such as reduced visibility for deprioritized items or misalignment if priorities change and communication is poor. Deprioritization is often temporary, with periodic reviews to determine if the item should remain lower in priority, moved up, or canceled. Related concepts include prioritization, triage, defer, and backlog management.