preferably
adverb
pref·er·a·bly
ˈpre-f(ə-)rə-blē 
: by choice or preference
—used to indicate what is wanted or preferred
The work should be done soon, preferably by the end of the week.
Applicants should hold a college degree, preferably with teaching experience.
Water thoroughly during the coolest time of day (preferably early morning), then allow soil to dry completely … before watering again.—
Michael MacCaskey
Michael MacCaskeyMound flour on a work surface (preferably wooden) and make a large well in center with your fingertips.—Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Lynne Rossetto KasperExamples of preferably in a Sentence
I like football, but preferably watching from the stands rather than being down on the field
Recent Examples on the Web
Car snow cleaning tips Wear gloves or mittens (preferably waterproof) to limit discomfort.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead, everyone wears high-quality socks, preferably ones made out of Merino wool, like these Smartwool crew socks.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Place 3 large eggs, beaten to blend, 1½ cups fine dry breadcrumbs, preferably seasoned or Italian-style, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in 3 separate shallow bowls.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
For weeks in this space, the thought — through no fault of their own — was to swap out Powell and Andrew Wiggins for draft capital, to either further fuel the youth pipeline or to amass and then package picks in a trade for a potential leading man (preferably a Greek leading man).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
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Charles Singh, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead, everyone wears high-quality socks, preferably ones made out of Merino wool, like these Smartwool crew socks.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
Place 3 large eggs, beaten to blend, 1½ cups fine dry breadcrumbs, preferably seasoned or Italian-style, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in 3 separate shallow bowls.
—Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
For weeks in this space, the thought — through no fault of their own — was to swap out Powell and Andrew Wiggins for draft capital, to either further fuel the youth pipeline or to amass and then package picks in a trade for a potential leading man (preferably a Greek leading man).
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Cite this Entry
“Preferably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preferably. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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