preference

[pref-er-uhns, pref-ruhns]

noun

1. the act of preferring.

2. the state of being preferred.

3. that which is preferred; choice.

   His preference is vanilla, not chocolate.

   Synonyms: pick, selection

4. a practical advantage given to one over others.

5. a prior right or claim, as to payment of dividends or to assets upon dissolution.

6. the favoring of one country or group of countries by granting special advantages over others in international trade.

preference

/ ˈprɛfrəns, ˈprɛfərəns /

noun

1. the act of preferring

2. something or someone preferred

3. law

   1. the settling of the claims of one or more creditors before or to the exclusion of those of the others

   2. a prior right to payment, as of a dividend or share in the assets of a company in the event of liquidation

4. commerce the granting of favour or precedence to particular foreign countries, as by levying differential tariffs

Other Word Forms

• nonpreference noun
• self-preference noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of preference¹

From the Medieval Latin word praeferentia, dating back to 1595–1605. See prefer, -ence

Synonym Study

See choice.

Example Sentences

Agentic AI can autonomously set and achieve goals, such as suggesting products and learning consumer preferences without a direct command or prompt.

Read more on Barron's

The governor thanked the bill’s author for his commitment to addressing disparities and urged educational institutions to review and determine “how, when, and if this type of preference can be adopted.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Working with a specific buyer to customize the home to their preferences might be a smarter move than trying to guess which renovations will fetch the most offers.

Read more on MarketWatch

Harvard decision striking down racial preferences in college admissions.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They want to isolate Americans and explicitly direct people’s choices to match their populist preferences.

Read more on MarketWatch

Related Words

• choice 
• desire 
• inclination 
• option 
• predilection 
• weakness