preferred

1 of 2

adjective

pre·​ferred pri-ˈfərd 

1

: liked better or best : used or wanted in preference to others

a preferred method

'Leveled' is the preferred spelling in American English.

2

: having special status or receiving special treatment or benefits

preferred customers

preferred

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of prefer

Synonyms of preferred

Adjective

• selected
• select
• favorite
• favored
• chosen

Examples of preferred in a Sentence

Adjective

my preferred means of communication is e-mail

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Trump wanted courts to allow the use of his preferred map, which lawmakers approved last year at his urging. — David A. Lieb, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026

Rather than seeding by qualifying time, athletes get to choose their preferred lane in advance, and these are then given out based on world ranking. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

That existential change could make Cregger’s preferred format less of a personal choice for other gamers — who may or may not enjoy the same organizational benefits. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

This will reveal how customers feel about your brand, their preferred communication methods and the smoothness of their customer experience. — Natalie Ruiz, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1748, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing preferred

• preferred provider
• preferred provider organization
• preferred stock

Rhymes for preferred

• afterword
• firebird
• hummingbird
• ladybird
• mockingbird
• overheard
• thunderbird
• undergird
• undeterred
• absurd
• averred
• bluebird