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
Aspergillus flavus, a species that tends to prefer hotter, tropical climates, could increase its spread by 16% if humans continue burning large amounts of fossil fuels, the study found.
—
Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Still others prefer city breaks — or simply staying put.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Forty percent of Gen Z prefer communicating online using WhatsApp rather than chatting in meetings.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Photo : Darin Schnabel, courtesy of RM Sotheby's The chrome bumpers of a mid-to-late 1960s MG MGB are preferred by purists, as opposed to the black rubber bumpers found on examples from 1974 on.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 24 May 2025
Still others prefer city breaks — or simply staying put.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Forty percent of Gen Z prefer communicating online using WhatsApp rather than chatting in meetings.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Photo : Darin Schnabel, courtesy of RM Sotheby's The chrome bumpers of a mid-to-late 1960s MG MGB are preferred by purists, as opposed to the black rubber bumpers found on examples from 1974 on.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 23 May 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 2 Jun. 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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