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

In one early scene, she voices her preference for maneuvering around Shiz University, where she’s just enrolled, without help — a desire wholly understood by her sister, if not their overbearing father or the campus staff.

From Los Angeles Times

Users who want to refresh their feeds will be able to select "reset suggested content" from their "content preferences" screen.

From BBC

It was found that the model's decision-making process aligned consistently with clinical preferences.

From Science Daily

Lineker's successor on Match of the Day has not been announced, and he said he would "never tell publicly my preference" to be the new host.

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

Related Words

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