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preference

preference

157 2.1
A stronger liking for one thing than for others
  • noun
  • /ˈprɛfərəns/
translation icon : preferencia
  • And I eat cooked food, but my preference is more live food.
  • personal preferences
  • express a preference
  • preference assessment

And I eat cooked food, but my preference is more live food.

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Examples

  • When it comes to movies, my preference is always for comedies rather than dramas.

  • While a majority of males expressed a preference for operating their own business, females did not.

    Academic text (2012)
  • This is a personal preference thing for me.

  • Do you have any preference, boy or girl?

  • If you have a preference, act now.

  • So we'll be seeing a shift in terms of consumer preference soon, no doubt.

  • Do you have a preference?

  • Everyone's food preference is so different from mine.

  • Do you have a preference as to which floor, Mr Ramsey?

  • I don't care what your preferences are.

Synonyms

favorite
vspreference
  • US
712 1.0

A person or thing you like more than others

is the general act of favoring rather than the specific chosen item
taste
vspreference
504 4.1

A person's liking for styles, clothes, or art

is about choosing one thing over others, not about aesthetic judgment
penchant
vspreference
37 8.2

A strong liking for something you do often

is a general liking not necessarily habitual or intense
leaning
vspreference
19 3.4

A tendency to prefer one idea or activity

is a stronger, clearer favoring rather than a mild tendency
predilection
vspreference
13 8.4

A strong liking for something, like a type of food or music

is more general and does not always imply such intensity
liking
vspreference
1 1.0

A feeling of pleasure for a person or thing

is the broader act of choosing one thing over others
fave
vspreference
  • Informal
7.9

Most liked thing of its kind used before a noun

is the general concept of favoring, not an informal label

Antonyms

71 4.6

Lack of interest or concern about something

Compounds

A liking for one thing over another

An investment that gives a fixed payment before other company investors and usually has no voting rights

How Strong

devotion
62 3.2
preference
157 2.1
liking
1 1.0
indifference
71 4.6

Surface Forms

preference singular
preferences plural

Morphology

preference = prefer (transparent) = prefer + ence

Standard nominalization of the verb 'prefer' with '-ence'; the meaning 'a greater liking' is directly derived and easily predictable for learners.

Etymology

Preference comes from the Latin parts pre- 'before' and ferre 'to carry', and it is the same root as prefer, which helps you remember that to prefer is to 'put one thing before another'. So a preference is when you like or choose one thing more than others.