numberwang said:
sundin13 said:
Well, that would only be true if you could have only one priority, which isn't the case, hence why the phrase "top priority" is valid English and not simply redundant and common idioms such as "get your priorities straight" exist. Or even more simply, the fact that you can make the word plural... Pretty much everything on that list would be considered a priority, simply not the top priority.
You can look to definitions such as "a preferential rating" or "Precedence, especially established by order of importance or urgency" to show how the word "priority" can be used alongside multiple items or a list of items.
So yes, that title is still a lie (or I guess in your case just very bad English).
|
'Top priority' is a tautology as 'top' and 'prior' mean the same thing in two different languages (before, first, foremost). The implication of second or lower priorities is faulty language, even if some people (mis)use it in casual conversation.
|
Having multiple priorities isn't just something people misuse "in casual conversation", it is something that everybody uses everywhere. It is how the word is used and as such it is seen clearly in numerous dictionary definitions.
There is no argument to assert that priority cannot be plural or ranked.
Here is a Reuter's article about how 5G is a Priority for the Trump Administration: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-corp-m-a-ross/u-s-commerce-secretary-says-5g-priority-for-trump-administration-idUSKBN1I23VA Do you think that they are in any way implying that 5G is the number one thing on their agenda?
Last edited by sundin13 - on 21 July 2018