preferred; preferring
1
: to promote or advance to a rank or position
2
: to like better or best
prefers sports to reading
prefers to watch TV
3
: to give (a creditor) priority
4
archaic
: to put or set forward or before someone : recommend
5
: to bring or lay against someone
won't prefer charges
6
: to bring forward or lay before one for consideration
preferrer
noun
Examples of prefer in a Sentence
Some people like vanilla ice cream, but I prefer chocolate.
She tends to prefer small college campuses.
I prefer this dictionary because of its helpful examples.
Which one is the preferred alternative?
What is the preferred pronunciation of her name?
Recent Examples on the Web
Hiring managers naturally trust candidates who come through a colleague or industry connection and will prefer them over unknown applicants.
—
Gina Riley, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
But the awkward theme that has emerged is Casemiro being preferred to somebody a decade his junior who was signed in a €60million (£51.3m/$66.3m at current exchange rates) deal last summer.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Some preferred the prospect of a data center, with its promise of hundreds of construction jobs and roughly 100 permanent jobs once built, over that of hundreds, if not thousands, of new homes.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2025
Richard Fitts was originally scheduled to start Saturday and is presumably still available to start Game 2, but if the Red Sox would prefer to keep him and Newcomb on different schedules then Dobbins would likely be a candidate to make his first career MLB start.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
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Gina Riley, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
But the awkward theme that has emerged is Casemiro being preferred to somebody a decade his junior who was signed in a €60million (£51.3m/$66.3m at current exchange rates) deal last summer.
—Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Some preferred the prospect of a data center, with its promise of hundreds of construction jobs and roughly 100 permanent jobs once built, over that of hundreds, if not thousands, of new homes.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2025
Richard Fitts was originally scheduled to start Saturday and is presumably still available to start Game 2, but if the Red Sox would prefer to keep him and Newcomb on different schedules then Dobbins would likely be a candidate to make his first career MLB start.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
Cite this Entry
“Prefer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefer. Accessed 11 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prefer
verb
pre·fer
pri-ˈfər 
preferred; preferring
1
: to choose or like better than another
prefer dark clothes
2
: to present for action or consideration
prefer charges against a thief
Legal Definition
prefer
transitive verb
pre·fer
pri-ˈfər
preferred; preferring
1
: to give (a creditor or debt) priority or preference
any preferred charges such as child support or alimony—In re Smiley, 427 P.2d 179 (1967)
In re Smiley, 427 P.2d 179 (1967)2
: to bring forward for determination
especially
: to bring (a charge) against someone
the various means by which a grand jury might prefer charges —State v. Byrd, 399 S.E.2d 267 (1990)
State v. Byrd, 399 S.E.2d 267 (1990) Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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