take priority

[teɪk praɪˈɒrɪti]
verb phrase
ter prioridade
1. to be considered more important than something else; to rank higher in order of importance
Safety must take priority over speed in construction work.
A segurança deve ter prioridade sobre a velocidade no trabalho de construção.
2. to receive preferential treatment or attention
The emergency case took priority in the hospital queue.
O caso de emergência teve prioridade na fila do hospital.
3. to be placed first in a list of tasks or concerns
Family matters take priority for him during the holidays.
Assuntos familiares têm prioridade para ele durante as férias.
This phrase is widely used in both American and Brazilian business, healthcare, and emergency contexts. In Brazil, it reflects the cultural importance of hierarchy and order of importance in decision-making, while in the USA it emphasizes the pragmatic need to manage resources and attention efficiently.
NYC Slang
gotta be first in line; jump the queue
Synonyms / Sinônimos
take precedencecome firstbe prioritizedrank highersupersede
Antonyms / Antônimos
take a back seatbe deprioritizedcome lastbe secondary

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ter prioridade
most common and standard usage across Brazil
São Paulo
ter prioridade / ser priorizado
both forms are used in business and corporate contexts
Rio de Janeiro
ter prioridade / vir em primeiro lugar
colloquial alternative uses 'vir em primeiro lugar'
Portugal
ter prioridade / ter precedência
Portuguese tends to use 'ter precedência' more frequently in formal contexts

Related Words

priorityprioritizeprecedenceimportanceurgenthierarchy

Related Idioms & Phrases

take priority over
take first priority
take top priority
first things first
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →