Meaning of "prefer" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PREFER

From Latin praeferre to carry in front, prefer, from prae in front + ferre to bear.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF PREFER

prefer  [prɪˈfɜː]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PREFER

Prefer is a verb.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb prefer in English.

WHAT DOES PREFER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Preference

The term preferences is used in a variety of related, but not identical, ways in the scientific literature. This makes it necessary to make explicit the sense in which the term is used in different social sciences.

Definition of prefer in the English dictionary

The first definition of prefer in the dictionary is to like better or value more highly. Other definition of prefer is to give preference, esp to one creditor over others. Prefer is also to put before a court, judge, magistrate, etc, for consideration and judgment.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO PREFER

PRESENT

Present

I prefer

you prefer

he/she/it prefers

we prefer

you prefer

they prefer

Present continuous

I am preferring

you are preferring

he/she/it is preferring

we are preferring

you are preferring

they are preferring

Present perfect

I have preferred

you have preferred

he/she/it has preferred

we have preferred

you have preferred

they have preferred

Present perfect continuous

I have been preferring

you have been preferring

he/she/it has been preferring

we have been preferring

you have been preferring

they have been preferring

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I preferred

you preferred

he/she/it preferred

we preferred

you preferred

they preferred

Past continuous

I was preferring

you were preferring

he/she/it was preferring

we were preferring

you were preferring

they were preferring

Past perfect

I had preferred

you had preferred

he/she/it had preferred

we had preferred

you had preferred

they had preferred

Past perfect continuous

I had been preferring

you had been preferring

he/she/it had been preferring

we had been preferring

you had been preferring

they had been preferring

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will prefer

you will prefer

he/she/it will prefer

we will prefer

you will prefer

they will prefer

Future continuous

I will be preferring

you will be preferring

he/she/it will be preferring

we will be preferring

you will be preferring

they will be preferring

Future perfect

I will have preferred

you will have preferred

he/she/it will have preferred

we will have preferred

you will have preferred

they will have preferred

Future perfect continuous

I will have been preferring

you will have been preferring

he/she/it will have been preferring

we will have been preferring

you will have been preferring

they will have been preferring

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would prefer

you would prefer

he/she/it would prefer

we would prefer

you would prefer

they would prefer

Conditional continuous

I would be preferring

you would be preferring

he/she/it would be preferring

we would be preferring

you would be preferring

they would be preferring

Conditional perfect

I would have prefer

you would have prefer

he/she/it would have prefer

we would have prefer

you would have prefer

they would have prefer

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been preferring

you would have been preferring

he/she/it would have been preferring

we would have been preferring

you would have been preferring

they would have been preferring

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you prefer
we let´s prefer
you prefer

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to prefer

Past participle

preferred

Present Participle

preferring

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «PREFER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «prefer» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of prefer

adopt · advance · aggrandize · choose · desire · elect · elevate · fancy · favour · file · go for · lodge · pick · place · present · press · promote · put forward · raise · select · upgrade · wish

TRANSLATION OF PREFER

Find out the translation of prefer to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of prefer from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «prefer» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 更喜欢
• Translator English - Spanish: preferir
• English: prefer
• Translator English - Hindi: पसंद करते हैं
• Translator English - Arabic: يُفَضِّلُ
• Translator English - Russian: предпочитать
• Translator English - Portuguese: preferir
• Translator English - Bengali: পছন্দ করা
• Translator English - French: préférer
• Translator English - Malay: Lebih suka
• Translator English - German: bevorzugen
• Translator English - Japanese: ･･･の方を好む
• Translator English - Korean: 선호하다
• Translator English - Javanese: Seneng
• Translator English - Vietnamese: thích hơn
• Translator English - Tamil: விரும்புகின்றனர்
• Translator English - Marathi: प्राधान्य
• Translator English - Turkish: tercih etmek
• Translator English - Italian: preferire
• Translator English - Polish: woleć
• Translator English - Ukrainian: надавати перевагу
• Translator English - Romanian: a prefera
• Translator English - Greek: προτιμώ
• Translator English - Afrikaans: verkies
• Translator English - Swedish: föredra
• Translator English - Norwegian: foretrekke

10 QUOTES WITH «PREFER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word prefer.

1

Minna Antrim

There never was a woman who did not prefer an oblique compliment to a straight truth - if the latter were unflattering.

2

Hank Azaria

In my cranky old age, I actually prefer recording alone now, on 'The Simpsons,' for example, because I find that the director can just focus on what I'm doing and I can do a lot of variations. A lot of times, when I record with a group, I'll stay after class for another hour or two.

3

Joan Baez

If people have to put labels on me, I'd prefer the first label to be human being, the second label to be pacifist, and the third to be folk singer.

4

Carol Bellamy

I think he is an entertainer. I would prefer if he were a performer.

5

Alex Berenson

In general, great companies prefer to grow 'organically,' as Wall Street likes to say. That is, from the inside out, by finding new markets or by taking market share from their competitors.

6

Carla Bley

I still prefer the bebop of the '40s. The very stuff I started out with is still the best to me. I have come full circle.

7

Quentin Bryce

The Australian way of affirmative action is setting goals and recognising discrimination and lack of opportunity and deciding to take action and setting some goals and targets. I guess I prefer that language to talking about quotas.

8

Ellen Chenoweth

I go to a lot of plays. I tend to prefer the off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway more than the Broadway shows. That's where I see people that I might not know.

9

Sharlto Copley

I always find the more you can draw on real life characters, people, situations, it works better. Certainly for designing a character, I prefer to draw on real people rather than other guys I've seen in movies, rather than 'here's my version of Clint Eastwood' or whoever.

10

Mitch Daniels

We believe it wrong ever to take a dollar from a free citizen without a very necessary public purpose, because each such taking diminishes the freedom to spend that dollar as its owner would prefer.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PREFER»

Discover the use of prefer in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to prefer and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: The Illuminating Diary of a ...

Now GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES and its brunette sequel are together at last in a two-in-one volume, complete with the original hilarious Ralph Barton illustrations throughout.

Anita Loos, 1998

Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Bodies, Behavior, and ...

Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? provides both an in-depth exploration into our sexual psyches—and fresh advice for men and women who want to discover the secrets of successful relationships. From the Hardcover edition.

Jena Pincott, 2008

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?

Jill Myles, 2009

Some Prefer Nettles

The marriage of Kaname and Misako is disintegrating: whilst seeking passion and fulfilment in the arms of others, they contemplate the humiliation of divorce.

Junichiro Tanizaki, 2001

Stewart Lee! The 'If You Prefer a Milder Comedian Please Ask ...

Featuring a transcript of the show fully annotated with footnotes, the If You Prefer A Milder Comedian EP confirms Stewart Lee as the most original, daring and brilliant comedian of his generation.

Stewart Lee, 2012

Scotsmen Prefer Blondes

She never wanted marriage.

Sara Ramsey, 2012

The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine al Dente)

In this collection of linked essays that’s both hilarious and poignant in turns, Kirstie chronicles all the good, the bad, and the ugly men who have influenced and guided her.

Kirstie Alley, 2012

Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?: Why He Fancies You and ...

Q: Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes?

Jena Pincott, 2008

Beautiful Women Prefer Nerds!: A Real Man's Guide on How to ...

Beginning with a diagnostic test, the book explains dating, falling in love, and finding romance in a concise and entertaining manner, showing all the clever strategies successful men use.

Ross Quigley, 1999

I Prefer to Teach: An International Comparison of Faculty ...

This book draws on the perspectives of nearly 20 000 faculties from around the world to determine significant trends in how professors view teaching and research.

James J. F. Forest, 2002

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PREFER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term prefer is used in the context of the following news items.

CNN poll: 64% of Republicans prefer securing border and …

This should answer the question of why Donald Trump resonates with the Republican base. Despite having criticized Mitt Romney for being too ... «Hot Air, Jul 15»

The alcohol industry would prefer that alcohol did not cause cancer

OPINION: Alcohol Action New Zealand and the Cancer Society ran a joint one-day conference recently at Te Papa to discuss alcohol and ... «Stuff.co.nz, Jul 15»

Report: Rangers interested in Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez

But SportsDayDFW's Evan Grant reports his sources indicate the Rangers prefer Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy instead. Gomez is a ... «Dallas Morning News, Jul 15»

Prefer PC over console for first-person shooters? This PS4 controller …

While the PS4 and Xbox One might have raised the visual quality of console gaming, PC gaming enthusiasts would argue that the lack of ... «Gizmag, Jul 15»

Kendall's Sigh Kicks Prefer to Let the Music Do the Talking

Kendall is kind of like the Miami music scene's middle child. We all know it's there, but we either don't notice it or just don't care. That's a shame. «Miami New Times, Jul 15»

UK vs. Australia: Where Would You Prefer to Live?

If you could choose where to live in the world, where would it be? Would you opt for a quiet country life or do you prefer the vibrancy of a big city ... «FTNnews.com, Jul 15»

Shock: Men And Women Prefer Family Values After They Have A …

Both men and women become less supportive of liberal feminist ideals about family life, housework and childcare after actually having children, ... «Breitbart News, Jul 15»

Does 'Twilight' Star Robert Pattinson's Mom Prefer His Ex Kristen …

Following Robert Pattinson's engagement to British singer FKA Twigs, many have found it hard to envision Pattinson in a relationship with ... «The Inquisitr, Jul 15»

Prefer Tech Mahindra: Mayuresh Joshi

Prefer Tech Mahindra: Mayuresh Joshi. Mayuresh Joshi of Angel Broking is of the view that Tech Mahindra will give an opportunity for long term ... «Moneycontrol.com, Jul 15»

Will My IS Militant Husband Prefer His Houris Over Me When He's …

If an IS militant dies in battle and is awarded his 72 "houris" (the heavenly maidens whom, according to IS ideology, militants are given if they ... «RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Jul 15»