preference
Americannoun
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the act of preferring.
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the state of being preferred.
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that which is preferred; choice.
His preference is vanilla, not chocolate.
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a practical advantage given to one over others.
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a prior right or claim, as to payment of dividends or to assets upon dissolution.
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the favoring of one country or group of countries by granting special advantages over others in international trade.
noun
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the act of preferring
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something or someone preferred
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law
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the settling of the claims of one or more creditors before or to the exclusion of those of the others
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a prior right to payment, as of a dividend or share in the assets of a company in the event of liquidation
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commerce the granting of favour or precedence to particular foreign countries, as by levying differential tariffs
Related Words
See choice.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preference
From the Medieval Latin word praeferentia, dating back to 1595–1605. See prefer, -ence
Explanation
If you have a strong liking for something, you have a preference for it. You might have a preference for apples, but there are some days when you're stuck eating a banana instead. If you grant favors to one person over another, then you are showing a preference or bias. The United States often gives preference to traditional allies like Britain or Canada. In your science class, it's clear that the professor has a preference for certain students and calls on them more often. Preference also refers to a choice or the right to choose — your friend might have a strong preference for which movie you'll see tonight.
Vocabulary lists containing preference
Trumps
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"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
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Geography and World Regions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Increasingly a sinister hue attaches to Beijing’s preference for “open weight” models.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Later, as human brains became larger and more complex, the preference for the right hand grew much stronger and more widespread.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
They rank candidates in order of preference and a contender needs 50 percent to win.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
But Aeralis's preference was to design and manufacture parts of its advanced trainer jet at the company's sites across the UK, before assembling the aircraft at Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
As to having a preference, that was new, too.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
