prefer

verb

pre·​fer pri-ˈfər 

preferred; preferring

transitive verb

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

Synonyms

• care (for)
• favor
• lean (toward or towards)
• like

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

Romeu wants a clean break from FC Barcelona To get a clean slate, Romeu prefers that his terms are terminated according to AS, which would help FC Barcelona get his salary off the books and have more room to operate in terms of Financial Fair Play. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025

The personal consumption expenditures index, a measure of inflation preferred by the Fed, will rise from 2.1% to 3% over the remainder of 2025, the central bank predicted. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 June 2025

But Talisman prefers putting a spin on it and, instead, thanking them for being them. —Angela Haupt, Time, 18 June 2025

In the moment, some fans wondered whether the ACC preferred Miami to win. —Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English preferren, from Anglo-French preferrer, from Latin praeferre to put before, prefer, from prae- + ferre to carry — more at bear

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prefer

• chauffeur
• cockspur
• concur
• confer
• defer
• demur
• deter
• hotspur
• incur
• infer
• inter
• jagir

Kids 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)

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)