preferential

adjective

pref·er·en·tial | \ ˌpre-fə-ˈren(t)-shəl

Definition of preferential

1 : showing preference

2 : employing or creating a preference in trade relations

3 : designed to permit expression of preference among candidates a preferential primary

4 : giving preference especially in hiring to union members a preferential shop

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Examples of preferential in a Sentence

powerful people who demand preferential treatment from politicians

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet Latin America’s web of 33 subregional preferential trade agreements, each with different rules, is giving diminishing returns. — The Economist, "What AMLO portends for Latin America," 5 July 2018 What most bedevils the increasingly round-the-clock awards-season prediction machine is the preferential ballot reinstituted eight years ago when the best picture category expanded from five to up to ten nominees. — Washington Post, "In Oscar best-picture race, an unprecedented nail biter," 28 Feb. 2018 America’s preferential treatment and diversity programs are in blatant disregard of Martin Luther King’s dream about judging people by their character instead of by the color of their skin. — WSJ, "To What Extent, if Any, Should Race Count?," 18 Dec. 2018 The program is meant to encourage investment in low-income urban and rural communities by giving preferential tax treatment to those who build and invest there. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Ivanka Trump reportedly advocated for a tax break she and Jared Kushner could profit from," 12 Dec. 2018 Since 1971, Malays have enjoyed preferential treatment over their Chinese compatriots in everything from schooling and housing to government jobs and access to capital. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, "Racial Preferences Aren’t Only an American Problem," 11 Dec. 2018 The plaintiffs excluded recruited athletes, children of alumni, and children of faculty, arguing that these groups received preferential treatment. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "A Timeline of the Harvard Affirmative Action Lawsuit," 2 Nov. 2018 Photo: Arthur Bondar for The Wall Street Journal To obtain private funds for the investment program, Mr. Putin has traded the expropriations of the early 2000s for carrots such as tax breaks, preferential loans and concession rights. — Anatoly Kurmanaev, WSJ, "U.S. Sanctions Bring Kremlin, Russian Oligarchs Closer Together," 29 Nov. 2018 Countries giving preferential tax deals to big companies — particularly in the tech sector — have been a European Commission priority since 2014, and Vestager ruled in 2016 that Ireland would have to claw back €13 billion in unpaid taxes from Apple. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "The fake video era of US politics has arrived on Twitter," 9 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'preferential.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.