Learn English – Word that means “able to be prioritized” suitable for scientific publication

single-word-requestsword-usage

I'm looking for a single word that means "able to be prioritized" that is suitable for use in a scientific paper.

"Prioritizable" is essentially what I want, but in my searching this does not appear to be an actual word. (Definitions are from crowd sourced, not authoritative sources.)

Since it is my understanding that it is generally bad practice to use such non-words in scientific literature, I'm looking for a suitable alternative.

Best Answer

Dictionaries only record words whose usage has been noted. Words are created by the people who speak the language. -able is a productive suffix which is attached to many words. In this case, priortizable may be a non-standard word, but its meaning is clear. You do not need a dictionary's blessing to use the word.

Also, scientific literature is full of neologisms. Embrace the tradition!

I should also add that prioritize itself seems to be a recent coining. The Google ngram for its use shows essentially nothing before 1960.

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Etymology Online has:

1972, apparently coined during the U.S. presidential contest that year, from root of priority + -ize.

So don't be afraid to stretch this new word into newer territory by adding more suffixes as needed. As long as it's clear what you mean, it is a concise way of explaining things.

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