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
Alas, Jewish skeptics of Zionism who preferred to think of themselves as cosmopolitans found no reprieve.
—
Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Read on to find out what your peers are picking and to find out why each boozy bevvy is preferred by its corresponding sign.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
The Rimowa Original Bag 16 is a smaller version of the Original Bag 19, the former preferred by women and the latter favored by men.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
Maintaining several brand relationships is time-consuming, and most collectors prefer fewer, deeper ones.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
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Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Read on to find out what your peers are picking and to find out why each boozy bevvy is preferred by its corresponding sign.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Sep. 2025
The Rimowa Original Bag 16 is a smaller version of the Original Bag 19, the former preferred by women and the latter favored by men.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
Maintaining several brand relationships is time-consuming, and most collectors prefer fewer, deeper ones.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 22 Sep. 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 23 Sep. 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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