The story
From priority + -ize. First attested in 1967 as U.S. government jargon, becoming more widespread through the 1970s and ’80s, but still denounced as officialese by purists into the 1990s.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
prioritize
Today it means: To value, do, or choose something first, or before other things. Full definition →