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

If you would prefer to stay at home you can also watch the Royal Observatory's live free stream of the eclipse from London.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Some insurers say they prefer to look at their internal rates of denials—or claims covered by the policy but not paid due to, say, fraud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

But the Dodgers would prefer to, unlike last year, at least earn a first-round bye, and ideally home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

More than a century later, Cornell apparently still has bears turning up on campus — though university officials would now prefer students not butcher them in the dorm kitchen.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

“Since he didn’t say, I’d guess he’d prefer to keep it private. I’ll respect that decision for now, if you don’t mind.”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

But there’s a reason people see Blanche’s nomination that way, even if Cassidy prefers not to.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

He is still registered to play for the non-league club but these days prefers to coach from the dugout and pass on his experience to players.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

He prefers to make a longer-term analysis of valuations and concludes that memory chip businesses tend to spend too much in good times.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

It prefers Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s description of the company as a “new generation AI-native cloud…built from the ground up for this era of computing.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

“She prefers we use her code name,” explained Rhonda.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

Grass has become a recurring feature of Trump’s effort to remake parts of Washington and the White House grounds according to his preferred aesthetic.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

It can attach to the first molecule it encounters, even if that molecule would not normally be the preferred electron recipient based on its ability to stabilize the added electron.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026

The comments came as transit through Hormuz has dropped significantly, with Iran targeting ships it accuses of skirting its preferred route through Iranian waters.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

A preferred scenario for Credit Agricole would be a merger between its Italian business and BPM, Credit Agricole Chief Financial Officer Clotilde L’Angevin said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

At the end of the day the baboons preferred social activities: grooming, entertaining infants, lounging in friendly groups.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Mr. Vance has blown off this important if unsung duty, preferring to stay in the spotlight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Locke is reluctant to divulge his own interpretation of the characters’ future, preferring instead to let viewers make sense of the hopeful ending.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Anne Gust Brown, wife of Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown, tended to shy away from the public, preferring to work behind the scenes as an unpaid aide.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

The MLPs have higher yields and some tax benefits, but many investors don’t like to get K-1 tax forms, preferring 1099s.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

Kaede remained out on the deck for the three-hour crossing, preferring the salty sting of the wind in her face to the cramped warmth down below.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

Related Words

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