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

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

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 Nasdaq Composite Index’s rapid rally to record highs may scare off some new investors who would prefer to wait for a pullback to start buying.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

The AI industry would prefer to be treated like the railroads.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

You could soften the onion first if you prefer, but I liked the little bit of bite it retained after baking.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

What’s dividing fans is Julian Casablancas’ insistence on using Autotune, as many prefer his raw vocals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

I’d prefer that things stay exactly the way they are.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan

His cramped work space, about 90 feet from the field, has enough room for two green vinyl chairs, though Araujo prefers to stand when he’s working.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026

While Park, 49, believes Macklemore's ouster was unfair and a violation of free speech, she said she's mostly unbothered by the drama and prefers to separate the artist from the art.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Within tech, Wells Fargo said it prefers software to microchips.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

But crude oil continues to find a way out of the Persian Gulf and the U.S. still prefers to pressure Tehran and its enablers through economic measures, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

“The notes say a Nightbeast emerges exactly six months from the beginning of its hibernation period, and it prefers to do so on the waning moon,” said Valley.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

It sees core inflation, using the Fed’s preferred measure, at 2.7% in late 2027, above the 2.5% that Fed officials recently projected.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Ibrahim Mbaye, a £47m arrival from Paris St-Germain, made his first Villa start in the 3-1 victory at Coventry and is also preferred to Garnacho for now.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Along with the technicolor mural, Caland’s singular sensibility persists in scattered drawings, a bouquet of her preferred 30-inch paintbrushes and a pair of stiff-backed pews.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

The pill had about $839 million in sales in the first half of the year and remains the preferred option over Lilly’s GLP-1 pill since Foundayo launched in April.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

Before the sessions, the sisters began to ask that drapes be drawn—the spirits preferred darkness.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

For most of this decade, Subaru’s leadership has limited spending on in-house electrification programs, preferring to rely on partners and suppliers—most conspicuously, Toyota, which owns a 20% interest in Subaru Corporation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Tim Garcia, who coached Raymond at Ventura High, said Raymond was never much of a talker on the field, preferring to lead by example, especially noting his strong intensity and commitment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

He possesses lightning pace, creativity and goals, but he is not a like-for-like replacement for Salah, preferring to operate on the left.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

"This excess in supply is also likely an additional factor serving to weigh on global sovereign debt markets with some investors preferring to invest in Big Tech as opposed to indebted sovereigns."

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

A goose, which never slept inside, preferring instead to sit under the stars, honked gently as they entered the pen.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

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