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

Rudd says some people might prefer to give their salary expectations, or outline their understanding of the salary range for the role.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Chains of magnetic particles inside the cells allow the bacteria to orient themselves with Earth's magnetic field, helping them swim toward the depth of water they prefer.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

A female survivor will not necessarily prefer a female officer, and gender alone does not make someone a competent interviewer, although evidence suggests that it does help.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026

As bitcoin becomes more widely held across institutional portfolios, some investors could prefer to avoid additional dollar exposure alongside their existing U.S. equity, debt, gold, and oil holdings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

I would prefer a different kind of boring.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

“The only person I will cold call is my mom because I know she prefers it and will always answer the phone.”

From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026

Within the U.S. junk-bond universe, he said he prefers higher-quality assets, while the selloff in safer Treasurys has him eyeing opportunities to extend duration into longer-term government debt.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Alan Burye, a retired accountant who lives just outside San Diego, said he prefers more moderate candidates because he thinks they are more productive politicians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The key metrics Maresca looks for in a player are understood to be very similar to Guardiola's, with the notable difference that the Italian prefers his full-backs to be more direct.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 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

Tomlin said he preferred playing in creative mode, as opposed to survival, hardcore or adventure modes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation rose at an annual rate of 3.4% in August, matching July’s revised rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Goncalo Ramos scored the winner against Norway and Jesus had said the AC Milan striker would again be preferred to Ronaldo against Denmark.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Investors are awaiting Wednesday's release of personal consumption expenditure data for October, with the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation likely to play a key role at its policy meeting at the end of October.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

There was an elevator, but Bat preferred to take the stairs.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

Analysts often note that investors give the revenue-generating automotive business little attention, preferring to focus on robotaxis and other ventures.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Many investors frown on the routine use of one-off payments, preferring consistent long-term performance measures for setting compensation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

Adult cats, specifically, rarely meow to one another, instead preferring other vocal intonations or facial signifiers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Unlike other relatives of the missing, Prajval does not plan to travel to the region at this stage, preferring to "stay contactable".

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

We never made it to Delmonico’s, preferring a moderately priced Italian restaurant near the Lochmoor, where we felt more comfortable.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

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