preferable
Americanadjective
Usage
Since preferable already means more desirable, one should not say something is more preferable or most preferable
Other Word Forms
- nonpreferability noun
- nonpreferable adjective
- nonpreferableness noun
- nonpreferably adverb
- preferability noun
- preferableness noun
- preferably adverb
- unpreferable adjective
- unpreferableness noun
- unpreferably adverb
Etymology
Origin of preferable
From the French word préfsptérable, dating back to 1640–50. See prefer, -able
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.
The Dodgers have made clear that saving an inning for the postseason is preferable to spending it during the regular season.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
And only one seems preferable for buyers and sellers in a housing market that’s been constrained by high interest rates and out-of-reach prices for several years.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
Generally, this is preferable to asking a hypothetical in opinion polls, which are getting more difficult than ever to do well.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
Given the uncertainties, some former military officers said a diplomatic agreement could be preferable to war.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Not for the first time in my short life, rats were a preferable option to humans.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
