prefer

American  

[pri-fur] / prɪˈfɜr /

verb (used with object)

• prefers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• preferred,
  past participle,  past
• preferring
  present participle

1. 

   to set or hold before or above other persons or things in estimation; like better; choose rather than.

   to prefer beef to chicken.

   Synonyms:

   fancy, favor

   Antonyms:

   reject

2. Law. to give priority, as to one creditor over another.

3. to put forward or present (a statement, suit, charge, etc.) for consideration or sanction.

   Synonyms:

   tender, proffer, offer

   Antonyms:

   retract

4. to put forward or advance, as in rank or office; promote.

   to be preferred for advancement.

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verb (used without object)

• prefers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• preferred,
  past participle,  past
• preferring
  present participle

1. to wish or feel inclined.

   For this stir-fry you can skip the cashews if you prefer.

prefer British  

/ prɪˈfɜː /

verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to like better or value more highly

   I prefer to stand

2. law to give preference, esp to one creditor over others

3. (esp of the police) to put (charges) before a court, judge, magistrate, etc, for consideration and judgment

4. (tr; often passive) to advance in rank over another or others; promote

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Usage

Normally, to is used after prefer and preferable, not than: I prefer Brahms to Tchaikovsky; a small income is preferable to no income at all . However, than or rather than should be used to link infinitives: I prefer to walk than/rather than to catch the train

Synonym Usage

See choose.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preferredness
  noun
• preferrer
  noun
• unpreferred
  adjective
• preferredly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• preferring
  present
• preferred
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• prefer
  simple
• prefers
  simple
• have preferred
  perfect
• has preferred
  perfect
• am preferring
  progressive
• are preferring
  progressive
• is preferring
  progressive
• have been preferring
  perfect progressive
• has been preferring
  perfect progressive

Past

• preferred
  simple
• had preferred
  perfect
• was preferring
  progressive
• were preferring
  progressive
• had been preferring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will prefer
  simple
• will have preferred
  perfect
• will be preferring
  progressive
• will have been preferring
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of prefer

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English preferren, prefer(re), from Anglo-French, Old French preferer, from Latin praeferre “to bear before, set before, prefer,” equivalent to prae- pre- + ferre to bear ¹

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Explanation

Prefer means to like better. If your parents prefer your sister to you, chances are her allowance will be higher and you'll get blamed for things she's done. If someone offers you hamburgers and hot dogs, it's more polite to say, "I'd prefer a hot dog," than "Blech, hamburgers. Gag me!" Note that prefer means not just to like, but to like better––you're comparing two or more things. Whether it be chocolate ice cream over other flavors, or getting going first thing in the morning as opposed to lounging in your PJs, what you prefer is called your preference. And if you like them all the same, you can say you have no preference

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prefer prefers preferred preferring

The researchers next wanted to determine whether it actually influenced how animals learned to prefer different flavors.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

We prefer my house over his, or we could both sell and move so we’re both coming into a neutral home that we both own equally.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026

“I prefer to carry God in my heart. That’s what matters,” said Mario Silva, 63 years old, a retired dockworker fishing along Montevideo’s waterfront.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Mountain lions prefer cover but Riley doesn’t think they’ll be deterred.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Cursed though she was with illness—she might have come to prefer it for his company.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

About 100,000 bottles of that stock are red wines, which Somerset prefers to age for 18 to 24 months or more, versus just three to six for white varieties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

An experienced traveller, Mihaela says she prefers to visit new countries without having preconceived ideas.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Even though she qualifies to vote by mail, she prefers to go to the polls in person.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

But the ghostwriter prefers to see it differently.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

“She prefers we use her code name,” explained Rhonda.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Mitsui Chemicals intends to acquire all of JSR’s voting rights, while DBJ is expected to convert the common shares it will acquire into nonvoting preferred shares.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

The researchers also discovered notable differences in the characteristics of people who preferred particular consumption methods.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 8, 2026

The four-year average from 2023 to 2026 is also expected to top 1.5C, the preferred limit set in the Paris Agreement to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Bellingham has been preferred to Kobbie Mainoo, with Tuchel saying the Manchester United midfielder, who was an early withdrawal from the last squad, has had a "difficult spell with his club".

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Unlike the actual reporters who rushed to the front rows so they’d be able to ask questions, the agents preferred seats near the doorways where they’d have a vantage point to watch for possible threats.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

The New York Post called it a "wacky cult," the conservative Daily Caller dubbed it "The AI Doomsday Cartel," and a White House memo accused it of preferring the saving of "shrimp over families."

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

Director of football Jason Wilcox is thought to favour the 48-year-old, with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell preferring former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Its component parties have previously been reluctant to cooperate with Jewish parties, preferring to sit in opposition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The challenge now is helping people overcome barriers to outdoor activity, such as safety concerns, fear of falling, or simply preferring the comfort of the sofa – particularly during wetter, colder months.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

It inhabits deep lakes, where it will prowl the bottom in search of food, preferring water snails.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

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Related Words

• adopt
• choose
• go for
• pick
• promote
• put
• select
• suggest
• wish

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