as in selected
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking
my preferred means of communication is e-mail
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in liked
to show partiality toward
I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
most buyers of that vehicle have preferred the model with four-wheel drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preferred
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 June 2026
When Agnes is faced with the reality of not being able to marry her preferred (and much more age-appropriate) match Garth, Aunt Lydia gives her Commander Westin (Reed Diamond), the top pick among this year’s eligible old bachelors, as her consolation prize.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 June 2026
Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 June 2026
The veteran agent from CAA Sports no doubt would have preferred to manage this behind the scenes in a careful and respectful manner with Yzerman.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preferred
Adjective
That could be Larkin, who reportedly has Minnesota as one of his preferred destinations.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 12 June 2026
When Agnes is faced with the reality of not being able to marry her preferred (and much more age-appropriate) match Garth, Aunt Lydia gives her Commander Westin (Reed Diamond), the top pick among this year’s eligible old bachelors, as her consolation prize.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 June 2026
Verb
That would mark a major shift for Apple, which has long preferred to own core technologies.
—Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 June 2026
The veteran agent from CAA Sports no doubt would have preferred to manage this behind the scenes in a careful and respectful manner with Yzerman.
—Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for preferred
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferred
Adjective
-
These pre-selected fighter pilots and their families moved into their apartments during the summer of 1960 after residing at the Frunze Central Airfield in Moscow.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
27 May 2026
-
Viewers can earn in-game gear, weapons and other rare items by watching selected streamers who are playing Tarkov.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Verb
-
And people question whether West and Ciara were at that level, and Ciara really liked West.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
Kupec enjoyed golfing and was an avid New York sports fan who liked the Yankees, Rangers and Giants as well as the Bridgeport Bluefish, according to the obituary.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
But the bullpen picked him up with five scoreless innings until Bradgley Rodriguez buckled in the 10th inning and Matsui did the same in the 11th.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
Investments continued to pour in, and the development boom that had taken hold in the ’90s picked right back up again.—
Matthew Sedacca,
Curbed,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Each ticket costs $5, and players may pick six numbers from two separate pools of numbers - five different numbers from 1 to 70 (the white balls) and one number from 1 to 24 (the gold Mega Ball) - or select Easy Pick/Quick Pick.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
-
Anthropic tightly controlled the release of Mythos, which was launched in April, limiting access to a select group of companies that could use it to plug security holes.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 June 2026
Verb
-
While powerhouse Germany is favored to win, don’t rule Curaçao out.—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
The Dutch are favored to advance out of the group stage, but the team has struggled with injuries; defender Jurrien Timber has already left because of a groin injury and goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is nursing a recent hip injury.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, many fans will band together at local sports bars and restaurants to cheer on their favorite teams.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
-
What to do nearby My favorite outing was to Ojos Indigenas, a nearby ecological reserve.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
Football is an activity to be enjoyed together in Ghana, rather than merely something to watch on television.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
On Monday, the airport hosted a celebration for its employees ahead of the region's big events this summer, with fun that both workers and travelers enjoyed.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Popular culture really likes to lionize chosen families.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
9 June 2026
-
Advertisement In fact, Thomas, the Middlebury College psychology professor, notes that chosen solitude can replenish us.—
Rainesford Stauffer,
Time,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preferred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferred. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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