preference

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹ(ə)ns/, /ˈpɹɛf(ə)ɹɛns/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛfəɹəns

Noun

preference (countable and uncountable, plural preferences)

1. The selection of one thing or person over others (with the main adposition being "for" in relation to the thing or person, but possibly also "of")

   He has a preference for crisp wines.

2. The option to so select, and the one selected.

   Can I keep my preferences when I upgrade to the new version of this application?

   • 2013 June 14, Jonathan Freedland, “Obama's once hip brand is now tainted”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 1, page 18:

     Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. Perhaps we assume that our name, address and search preferences will be viewed by some unseen pair of corporate eyes, probably not human, and don't mind that much.

3. The state of being preferred over others.
4. A strong liking or personal valuation.
5. A preferential bias; partiality; discrimination.

Verb

preference (third-person singular simple present preferences, present participle preferencing, simple past and past participle preferenced)

1. (US) To give preferential treatment to; to give a preference to.

See also

• preferences

Noun

preference (uncountable)

1. Preferans, a card game, principally played in Eastern Europe.

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

• See oferta