In the American Heritage dictionary it has three meanings: 1.Precedence, esp. by order of importance. 2. An established right to precedence. 3. Something deserving prior attention. In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary you can find an idiom: get one’s priorities right, wrong, etc. which means know/not know what is most important and act accordingly. E.g. Your trouble is you’ve got your priorities back to front！你因为本末到置才出了麻烦！

Priority的基本含义可以用两个字来概括----优先。该意思可以引申出很多丰富多彩的词义，而且该词的使用可以起到言简意赅的作用，省却很多不必要的词语。大家可以多加注意，并灵活地使用它。例句如下：

E.g.1. They insist that the right to live should take priority over all other considerations.

     他们坚持认为，生存权利应放在其他一切考虑因素之上。

E.g.2. I have priority over you in my claim.

     在要求此事方面，我比你有优先权。

E.g.3: Fire engines and ambulance have priority over other traffic.

     消防车和救护车比其他车辆有优先通行权。

E.g.4: You must decide what your priorities are.

     你应该分清轻重缓急。

E.g.5: You must give the matter priority.

     你必须优先考虑此事。

E.g.6: Japan’s priority (over other countries) in the field of microelectronics.

     日本在微电子学领域中的领先（于其他国家）

E.g.7: Road building is a first (top) priority.

     道路建设是头等大事。

E.g.8: Vehicles coming from the right have priority.

     从右边驶来的车辆有优先通行权。

E.g.9: Buying a new car was first on my list of priorities.

     买一辆新车是我头等重要之事。

E.g.10: Housework is low on her list of priorities.

     在她那些非做不可的事情中，家务活并不重要。

E.g.11: You must learn to get your priorities right.

     你得弄清楚轻重缓急。

E.g.12: Rebuilding the area is a (top) priority.

     重建这一地区是当务之急。

E.g.13: Agriculture has become a priority interest.

     农业已经成为人们最为关注的事情。

E.g.14: The Government gave (top) priority to reforming the legal system.

     政府将改革法制列为工作的重点。

E.g.15: The search for a new vaccine took priority over all other medical research.

     在各种医药研究中，应首先解决寻求新疫苗的问题。

E.g.16: (Attrib作定语)Priority cases, such as homeless families, get dealt with first.

     重点事项如缺房户问题，要首先着手解决。

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