Meaning & use
make it a priority
Last updated
Meaning
phrasetransitive
To treat something as more important than other things and give it special attention.
Grammar: Takes an object: make something a priority. The object can be a noun or a clause with 'to' + verb.
Patterns
- make something a priority
- make it a priority to do something
After his health scare, he made exercise a priority.
The company made it a priority to improve customer service.
She makes it a priority to spend time with her family.
Common combinations
- make something a top priority
- Safety should be made a top priority.
- make it a priority to do something
- They made it a priority to reduce waste.
- make something a priority
- He made paying off his debts a priority.
Synonyms and how they differ
- prioritize
- A verb meaning to treat something as a priority; more concise but less emphatic than 'make it a priority'.
- put first
- Informal; means to consider something most important.
Opposites
Word family
- priority noun
- Something that is more important than other things.
- prioritize verb
- To put things in order of importance.
Practice
After the accident, the airline _____ safety a priority.
Choose one answer.
The correct verb is 'made' because the phrase is 'make something a priority'. 'Did' and 'took' do not collocate with 'a priority' in this way; 'put' would need 'put safety first' or 'put a priority on safety'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “make it a priority”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.