preferred; preferring
1
: to promote or advance to a rank or position
2
: to like better or best
prefers sports to reading
prefers to watch TV
3
: to give (a creditor) priority
4
archaic
: to put or set forward or before someone : recommend
5
: to bring or lay against someone
won't prefer charges
6
: to bring forward or lay before one for consideration
preferrer
noun
Examples of prefer in a Sentence
Some people like vanilla ice cream, but I prefer chocolate.
She tends to prefer small college campuses.
I prefer this dictionary because of its helpful examples.
Which one is the preferred alternative?
What is the preferred pronunciation of her name?
Recent Examples on the Web
Evie has skied all over the world, in various conditions, and prefers to buy high-quality once, rather than buying low-quality products several times.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
Barn owls, as the name suggests, often prefer open habitats like agricultural fields, which is why their boxes are often located on the sides of barns.
—Sarah Bowman, IndyStar, 15 Dec. 2025
There will also be new perks for those who prefer their perks in the form of bonus miles and travel vouchers.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025
The pair had different modes of collaboration—Bernstein preferred to work in the room together, while Sondheim would rather be apart—but the cryptics that arrived every week in the British magazine The Listener helped bridge the divide.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025
Barn owls, as the name suggests, often prefer open habitats like agricultural fields, which is why their boxes are often located on the sides of barns.
—Sarah Bowman, IndyStar, 15 Dec. 2025
There will also be new perks for those who prefer their perks in the form of bonus miles and travel vouchers.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 15 Dec. 2025
The pair had different modes of collaboration—Bernstein preferred to work in the room together, while Sondheim would rather be apart—but the cryptics that arrived every week in the British magazine The Listener helped bridge the divide.
—Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefer
Cite this Entry
“Prefer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prefer. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prefer
verb
pre·fer
pri-ˈfər 
preferred; preferring
1
: to choose or like better than another
prefer dark clothes
2
: to present for action or consideration
prefer charges against a thief
Legal Definition
prefer
transitive verb
pre·fer
pri-ˈfər
preferred; preferring
1
: to give (a creditor or debt) priority or preference
any preferred charges such as child support or alimony—In re Smiley, 427 P.2d 179 (1967)
In re Smiley, 427 P.2d 179 (1967)2
: to bring forward for determination
especially
: to bring (a charge) against someone
the various means by which a grand jury might prefer charges —State v. Byrd, 399 S.E.2d 267 (1990)
State v. Byrd, 399 S.E.2d 267 (1990) Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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