preferential

[pref-uh-ren-shuh l]

See more synonyms for preferential on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or of the nature of preference: preferential policies.
showing or giving preference: a preferential hiring system.
receiving or enjoying preference, as a country in trade relations; favored.

Origin of preferential

1840–50; < Medieval Latin praeferenti(a) preference + -al¹

Related formspref·er·en·tial·ism, nounpref·er·en·tial·ist, nounpref·er·en·tial·ly, adverbnon·pref·er·en·tial, adjectivenon·pref·er·en·tial·ly, adverbnon·pref·er·en·tial·ism, nounqua·si-pref·er·en·tial, adjectivequa·si-pref·er·en·tial·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for preferential

Contemporary Examples

Hall even made it clear that his problem is less with the preferential admissions, but with the lack of transparency.
The University of Texas’s Machiavellian War on Its Regent
David Davis
October 27, 2014
Either way, part of the tragedy and poignancy of polio is its preferential spread to babies and toddlers.
Who’s to Blame for Global Polio Emergency?
Kent Sepkowitz
May 6, 2014
The preferential ballot will definitely favor Gravity, which I felt was a superior film anyway.
And the Best Picture Oscar Goes to… ‘12 Years A Slave,’ ‘Gravity,’ or ‘American Hustle?’
Kevin Fallon, Marlow Stern
March 1, 2014
“Crony capitalism,” for example, typically refers to preferential relationships between politicians and business interests.
Sarah Palin’s Left-Right Mash-Up
David Sessions
September 4, 2011
The academy changed the voting rules this year to include 10 Best Picture nominees with preferential ballots.
Oscar Voting Madness
Kim Masters
September 3, 2009

Historical Examples

Proportional representation and preferential voting I have mentioned.
A Preface to Politics
Walter Lippmann
Preferential trade was the alternative path to imperial federation.
The Canadian Dominion
Oscar D. Skelton
With that end no one will quarrel; but how will preferential trade promote it?
Are we Ruined by the Germans?
Harold Cox
Is the preferential shop so delicate a fabric as to prove futile?
Making Both Ends Meet
Sue Ainslie Clark and Edith Wyatt
This city should elect its municipal officers by preferential voting.
The Making of Arguments
J. H. Gardiner

British Dictionary definitions for preferential

preferential

adjective

showing or resulting from preference
giving, receiving, or originating from preference in international trade

Derived Formspreferentiality (ˌprɛfəˌrɛnʃɪˈælɪtɪ), nounpreferentially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for preferential

adj.

1805, from Medieval Latin preferentia, from Latin praeferre (see prefer) + -al (1).

preferential

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}preferential

Related Words

Examples from the Web for preferential

Contemporary Examples

Hall even made it clear that his problem is less with the preferential admissions, but with the lack of transparency.

Either way, part of the tragedy and poignancy of polio is its preferential spread to babies and toddlers.

The preferential ballot will definitely favor Gravity, which I felt was a superior film anyway.

“Crony capitalism,” for example, typically refers to preferential relationships between politicians and business interests.

The academy changed the voting rules this year to include 10 Best Picture nominees with preferential ballots.

Historical Examples

Proportional representation and preferential voting I have mentioned.

Preferential trade was the alternative path to imperial federation.

With that end no one will quarrel; but how will preferential trade promote it?

Is the preferential shop so delicate a fabric as to prove futile?

This city should elect its municipal officers by preferential voting.

preferential

Word Origin and History for preferential

adj.

Origin of preferential