1
as in to like
to show partiality toward
I generally prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to choose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
most buyers of that vehicle have preferred the model with four-wheel drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prefer
For those who prefer fresh vegetables, prices are similar or slightly higher than frozen vegetables.
—
Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
But many perennials also do well when planted in the fall or even prefer this time of year.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
For those who prefer not to walk for hours under the imposing Brazilian sun, renting a car may prove to be the most comfortable method of touring the city.
—Greyson Ferguson, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
The drug is intended for people who can’t take or prefer to avoid hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
But many perennials also do well when planted in the fall or even prefer this time of year.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025
For those who prefer not to walk for hours under the imposing Brazilian sun, renting a car may prove to be the most comfortable method of touring the city.
—Greyson Ferguson, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
The drug is intended for people who can’t take or prefer to avoid hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.
—Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefer
Verb
-
There’s a lot to like about the way the Sabres have played, though.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Choi likes to precut carrots, celery, onions and fennel.—
Malaka Gharib,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The arrangement empowers the co-investors to pick and choose their own individual deals, the great lure of directs in general.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Smith chose to write about her discovery not to reveal some great secret or proclaim a new identity.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Avery is very quickly excluded from the suspect pool thanks to the time stamp on a photo of her and her father enjoying dinner together on their own at a local diner.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Both ends of the leash will simply enjoy having people pet the therapy dog, chat with the handler, try to calm their nerves before running their big race, and, hopefully, have a significant, measurable feeling of relaxation.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors.—
Luz García,
Glamour,
2 Nov. 2025
-
All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
As a childless person who doesn’t teach I’ve been happily unaware that, due to standardized testing requirements that favor close reads of excerpts over whole books, there’s an entire generation of students who have very little contextual framework for the literature they’re being taught in school.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Buyers fought over a limited supply, with those offering higher down payments and higher offers ultimately being favored by the market.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
With two straight victories after a 1-5 start, the Ravens have picked themselves off the mat and are threatening to get back in the playoff mix.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The Seahawks, who sent two mid-round draft picks to the Saints, may see Shaheed as similar to Percy Harvin.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
All this after Fern just wanted to renovate her boring bookseller life by starting over next to her orc pal Viv’s coffee shop!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Airwallex’s focus, instead, is on companies that want a global presence and need to be able to issue employee cards, open bank accounts, and pay merchants across dozens of jurisdictions.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prefer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefer. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share