prefer
verb (used with object)
to set or hold before or above other persons or things in estimation; like better; choose rather than.
have preferred
-
present perfectof prefer.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
A relatively small carnivore might have regarded a human as worthwhile prey, whereas an enormous hunter such as T. rex may have preferred much larger animals.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
“I would have preferred that my house burn instead of my forest,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
He said he would have preferred to see Macron "in a fire truck helping firefighters put out the blaze. That's where he should have been."
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Degas is said to have preferred watching ballerinas in the rehearsal studio as opposed to performing on stage, as he could then witness the “little events that occurred in the background.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
I am not sure that I wouldn’t have preferred some ordeal, some way to prove myself.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
