preferably
Britishadverb
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."
Vocabulary lists containing preferably
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Donald Trump "pretty much does what he wants" and recommended staying calm in a world on edge, preferably with a sauna, in a freewheeling interview to AFP on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
He plans to go to college in the Northeast, preferably a city with a good transit system.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“The main thing is finding something that you enjoy doing, that preferably doesn’t harm others, and that tests whatever aptitude one has, that tests one’s ingenuity,” he said of his approach to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Portugal are fully aware that only a convincing win against Uzbekistan can offer them some peace - preferably with Ronaldo scoring, of course.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Composers were never happier than when they were able to combine them both, preferably bolted on to a doomed love affair.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
