preference

[ pref-er-uhns, pref-ruhns ]

noun

1. the act of preferring.
2. the state of being preferred.
3. that which is preferred; choice:

   His preference is vanilla, not chocolate.

   Synonyms: pick, selection

4. a practical advantage given to one over others.
5. a prior right or claim, as to payment of dividends or to assets upon dissolution.
6. the favoring of one country or group of countries by granting special advantages over others in international trade.

preference

/ ˈprɛfrəns; ˈprɛfərəns /

noun

1. the act of preferring
2. something or someone preferred
3. law
   1. the settling of the claims of one or more creditors before or to the exclusion of those of the others
   2. a prior right to payment, as of a dividend or share in the assets of a company in the event of liquidation
4. commerce the granting of favour or precedence to particular foreign countries, as by levying differential tariffs

Other Words From

• non·prefer·ence noun
• self-prefer·ence noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of preference¹

From the Medieval Latin word praeferentia, dating back to 1595–1605. See prefer, -ence

Synonym Study

See choice.

Example Sentences

Prof Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London, said: "This will disadvantage groups such as women who are sensitive to gluten, eat rice in preference to bread, and products made from wholemeal flour - excluding them and their babies from benefiting, and thus adding to the considerable health inequities that already exist in the UK."

From BBC

When she got around to naming Martin Scorsese, she landed at the perfect opportunity to call out his preference for making films that center primarily on men.

From Salon

Apparently, Elon Musk is a fixture, "weighing in on staffing decisions, making clear his preference for certain roles,"

From Salon

About 72% of Democrats said they would be very likely or somewhat likely to consider Harris for governor, compared with 8% of Republicans and 38% of voters with no party preference.

From Los Angeles Times

More than half of registered voters say they don’t have a preference among the candidates.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• choice
• desire
• inclination
• option
• predilection
• weakness