preference
Americannoun
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the act of preferring.
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the state of being preferred.
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that which is preferred; choice.
His preference is vanilla, not chocolate.
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a practical advantage given to one over others.
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a prior right or claim, as to payment of dividends or to assets upon dissolution.
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the favoring of one country or group of countries by granting special advantages over others in international trade.
noun
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the act of preferring
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something or someone preferred
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law
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the settling of the claims of one or more creditors before or to the exclusion of those of the others
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a prior right to payment, as of a dividend or share in the assets of a company in the event of liquidation
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commerce the granting of favour or precedence to particular foreign countries, as by levying differential tariffs
Related Words
See choice.
Other Word Forms
- nonpreference noun
- self-preference noun
Etymology
Origin of preference
From the Medieval Latin word praeferentia, dating back to 1595–1605. See prefer, -ence
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.
Another issue is just how “out” to be, at work and elsewhere, about one’s preferences; the Davises worry about how and when to break the news to their teenage son.
From Los Angeles Times
While A shares still command a premium, the gap has narrowed significantly, the bank adds, noting it has no clear preference between the two.
A projected 2.3 million barrels per day supply surplus and U.S. preference for strong energy supply are key factors in the oil price outlook.
From Barron's
Powell has insisted the central bank sets policy based on economic conditions, not political preferences.
He said he flies a helicopter three days a week and a plane five, with a preference for his collection of vintage World War II aircraft.
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.
