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
Synonyms
Examples of preferred in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of curating a list of preferred non-profits to support, the platform doubled down on what their users care about.
—
Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
White chocolate liqueur: Our preferred brand is Godiva, but any white chocolate liqueur can be used in its place.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is ready to discuss his preferred 2024 candidates -- and Ramaswamy didn't make the cut.
—Kelsey Walsh, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2023
That’s because since his preferred candidate, Javier Milei, won Argentina’s presidency two days earlier, the cost of the meat had jumped by five percent, while the street value of the Argentine peso had fallen by 12 percent, hurting his customers’ purchasing power.
—Lucía Cholakian Herrera, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
Parking: $10 for general parking, $15 for preferred parking.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
Using the company’s preferred non-GAAP statement of its accounts, net income was RMB622 million ($85.3 million), compared to non-GAAP net profits of RMB187 million in the same period last year.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Climate change is pushing more and more mosquitoes to take humans as their preferred hosts.
—Sean O'Donnell, Discover Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023
The latter was the preferred subject of his art teacher father, the name Picasso gave to his daughter and the emblem of the 1949 World Peace Congress in Paris.
—Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023
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Alexander Puutio, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
White chocolate liqueur: Our preferred brand is Godiva, but any white chocolate liqueur can be used in its place.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is ready to discuss his preferred 2024 candidates -- and Ramaswamy didn't make the cut.
—Kelsey Walsh, ABC News, 25 Nov. 2023
That’s because since his preferred candidate, Javier Milei, won Argentina’s presidency two days earlier, the cost of the meat had jumped by five percent, while the street value of the Argentine peso had fallen by 12 percent, hurting his customers’ purchasing power.
—Lucía Cholakian Herrera, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2023
Parking: $10 for general parking, $15 for preferred parking.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2023
Using the company’s preferred non-GAAP statement of its accounts, net income was RMB622 million ($85.3 million), compared to non-GAAP net profits of RMB187 million in the same period last year.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Climate change is pushing more and more mosquitoes to take humans as their preferred hosts.
—Sean O'Donnell, Discover Magazine, 20 Nov. 2023
The latter was the preferred subject of his art teacher father, the name Picasso gave to his daughter and the emblem of the 1949 World Peace Congress in Paris.
—Lisa Johnson, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preferred.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1748, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Phrases Containing preferred
Dictionary Entries Near preferred
Cite this Entry
“Preferred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preferred. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on preferred
Nglish: Translation of preferred for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of preferred for Arabic Speakers
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