Something that is more important than other things and should be dealt with first. It can also mean the state of having more importance or urgency.
From Old French *priorite*, from Medieval Latin *prioritas* meaning 'fact of being earlier or first', from Latin *prior* 'earlier'. The focus shifted from 'earlier in time' to 'more important'.
A priority is basically a decision about what gets your limited time and energy. When people say they have 'many priorities', they’re contradicting the word’s core idea of 'firstness'. Real change often starts with admitting what your priority actually is, not what you wish it were.
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