Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
👍 To like more 💰 To pay first
to prefer

to prefer

35 7.5
To pay one person you owe money to before others when money is limited
  • verb
  • /prɪˈfɜr/
  • Formal
translation icon : dar preferencia a
  • The company will prefer the invoices from their long-time suppliers first before settling newer debts.

Examples

  • In the event of bankruptcy, the court will prefer the claims of secured creditors over unsecured ones.

  • In a recent study, 75 percent of choir students surveyed preferred extraversion, while only 25 percent preferred introversion.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Neither can pass laws that aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another.

    Academic text (1995)

  • She preferred to walk instead of taking a cab.

    Columbus Circle (2012)

  • Within these festivals, the sale of folk art is emerging as the preferred and most viable economic activity.

    Academic text (1999)

  • No, I prefer the Bavarian stein.

    Rescue Dawn (2007)

  • He decided to prefer his first creditor and pay off the loan before addressing the other debts.

Synonyms

to prioritize over
vsto prefer
  • US
1 4.3

To decide one thing is more important than another

gives one creditor payment priority by settling their claim before others are paid

Phrasal Verbs

to prefer over
12 3.0

To choose one thing instead of another because you like it more

Surface Forms

prefer infinitive
preferring present participle
prefers third person singular
preferred past
preferred past participle

Etymology

Prefer comes from the Latin parts pre- 'before' and ferre 'to carry', and in law it kept the idea of putting someone 'before' others. That's why to prefer a creditor is to give them payment 'before' other creditors.