Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- transitive verb To choose or be in the habit of choosing as more desirable or as having more value.
- transitive verb To give priority or precedence to (a creditor).
- transitive verb To present (a charge) against a defendant before a court.
- transitive verb To present (a case) to a court as ready for consideration.
- transitive verb Archaic To recommend for advancement or appointment; promote.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To bring or set before; present; proffer; offer.
- To offer for consideration or decision; set forth; present in a conventional or formal manner, as a suit, prayer, or accusation.
- To bring into notice or favor; recommend.
- To bring forward or advance in dignity or office; raise; exalt.
- To set before other things in estimation; hold in greater liking or esteem; choose; incline more toward.
- Specifically, in law, to give a preference to. See
preference , 2. - To outrank; be reckoned preferable to.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To carry or bring (something) forward, or before one; hence, to bring for consideration, acceptance, judgment, etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to address; -- said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim, charge, etc.
- transitive verb obsolete To go before, or be before, in estimation; to outrank; to surpass.
- transitive verb To cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote.
- transitive verb To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by
to ,before , orabove . - transitive verb stock which takes a dividend before other capital stock; -- called also
preference stock andpreferential stock .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb select as an alternative over another
- verb give preference to one creditor over another
- verb promote over another
- verb like better; value more highly
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word prefer.
Examples
-
The Esquimaux prefer it raw in these parts of the world (although some travellers assert that in more southern latitudes they prefer cooked meat); and with good reason, for it is much more nourishing than cooked flesh, and learned, scientific men who have wintered in the Arctic Regions have distinctly stated that in those cold countries they found raw meat to be better for them than cooked meat, and they assure us that they at last came to _prefer_ it!
The World of Ice 1859
-
The Esquimaux prefer it raw in these parts of the world (although some travellers assert that in more southern latitudes they prefer cooked meat), and with good reason, for it is much more nourishing than cooked flesh; and learned, scientific men, who have wintered in the Arctic regions, have distinctly stated that in those cold countries they found raw meat to be better for them than cooked meat, and they assure us that they at last came to _prefer_ it!
The World of Ice 1859
-
Which they would each prefer is left hauntingly ambiguous.
Graham Moore: Sherlock Holmes Gets the US Weekly Treatment, and I Couldn't Be Happier Graham Moore 2010
-
What I'd prefer is that the filmmakers sink just a little dough into Welles's not-quite-finished unreleased 1970s feature starring John Huston titled "The Other Side of the Wind."
-
Which they would each prefer is left hauntingly ambiguous.
Graham Moore: Sherlock Holmes Gets the US Weekly Treatment, and I Couldn't Be Happier Graham Moore 2010
-
Choose the font and font size you prefer from the drop-down boxes in this window, then click on the "default" button in the lower left-hand corner of the window.
Mystery of the Day 2009
-
What us Texans would prefer is that the Terminator use that knife to slice the cancerous tumor known as California clear from the U.S.
Schwarzenegger wields knife, talks budget cuts in video 2009
-
The favour, sir, Mr. Pathurst, that I would prefer is that you will not mention that little matter to anybody.
CHAPTER XXIV 2010
-
In time the peoples of Europe will again prefer throwback59
The term ‘Molotov cocktail’ is notably absent from this Lars Vilks report. | RedState 2010
-
What I prefer is that I not be subjected to the evolving romance of characters X and Y.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.