prioritizes

Prioritizes is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb prioritize. It means to determine the order of importance or urgency of tasks, goals, or items and to allocate attention or resources accordingly. In practice, prioritization involves evaluating factors such as impact, urgency, feasibility, and dependencies to decide what should be addressed first.

Etymology and form: The word prioritizes derives from priority with the verb-forming suffix -ize in American English. The corresponding British English form is prioritises. Related nouns include prioritization and priority, while related verbs include prioritize (base form) and prioritiser/prioritizer (someone who prioritizes).

Usage across contexts: In personal productivity, individuals prioritize tasks to manage time and energy. In project management and software development, teams prioritize work items or the backlog to maximize value within constraints. In healthcare, triage prioritizes patients based on need and likelihood of benefit. In policy or strategic planning, priorities guide resource allocation and decision-making.

Examples: She prioritizes her most urgent tasks first. The committee prioritizes funding requests by impact and feasibility. The backlog is regularly reviewed to ensure the highest-value features are prioritized.

See also: prioritization, priority, prioritiser/prioritizer.