preferably

British  

/ ˈprɛfrəblɪ, ˈprɛfərəblɪ /

adverb

1. ideally; by preference; if one had a choice

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Explanation

The adverb preferably refers to the most desirable choice. You could say you were looking for a new car, preferably a hybrid. That means that a hybrid is the kind of car you would choose over any other kind. As preferably is the adverb form of the word "prefer," we can find its roots in the Latin praeferre, which means "to set before." When you use preferably you're saying you'd set that choice before all others, though you might accept something else. Musician David Byrne once said, "I wanted to be a secret agent and an astronaut, preferably at the same time."

Example Sentences

“Hag” is meant to be watched, enjoyed and watched all over again, preferably with a different set of friends than the first go-round so the gospel can spread as quickly as possible.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

“For the market to buy back into the hyperscalers will require a clearer path to monetization, preferably into the context of healthy margins,” they said.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

We would love to host this on a budget and preferably either in the San Fernando Valley or on the Westside.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

Then, just before she hits the gate, Shiffrin pops a very legal performance enhancer known to sweet tooths everywhere: gummy bears, preferably Haribo, as mouth-puckeringly sour as possible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

What killed alchemy was the insistence that experiments must be openly reported in publications which presented a clear account of what had happened, and they must then be replicated, preferably before independent witnesses.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton