Word family noun preference adjective preferable preferential verb prefer adverb preferably preferentially
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpreferencepref‧e‧rence /ˈprefərəns/ ●●○ W3 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]PREFER if you have a preference for something, you like it more than another thing and will choose it if you can → prefer Do you have a colour preference?preference for a cultural preference for boy babies Parents may be able to express a preference as to the school their child will attend. The amount of sugar you add will depend on personal preference. Many elderly people expressed a strong preference to live in their own homes.in preference to something (=rather than something) Use clear English in preference to technical language.2 [countable, uncountable] when someone is treated more favourably than other people, often when he or she has been treated unfairly in the past Racial preferences are a way to make up for years of discrimination against minorities.give/show preference (to somebody) In allocating housing, preference is given to families with young children.3 → sexual preferenceCOLLOCATIONSverbshave a preferenceDo you have a preference for red or white wine?express a preferenceHe avoided expressing a preference for any of the remaining Democratic candidates.show a preferenceFemales showed a preference for long-tailed males.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + preferencea strong preferenceIn some countries, there is still a strong preference for sons.a clear preferenceThere was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.a marked preference (=strong and clear)The animals have a marked preference for woodland.a personal preferenceMy personal preference is to eat meat only once or twice a week.individual preferencesThis partnership can take a variety of forms, depending on individual preferences.consumer preferencesInformation about local consumer preferences can be used by a manufacturer's sales force.food preferencesVery young children may have clear food preferences.phrasesin order of preferencePlease list your choice of colleges in order of preference.be a matter of personal preference (=be something that you can choose, according to what you like)Which one you decide to buy is just a matter of personal preference. Examples from the Corpus
preference• When they're old enough for a preference, he's the preference.• Coupons generated electronically at the cash register are popular across the country, because they mirror consumer preferences.• Adams expressed her preference for New York, despite the fact that she's lived in California for six years.• The context of these remarks was his preference for allowing arbitrators to make final decisions on questions of construction.• Because of its preference for lower temperatures, this is an ideal plant for the garden pool.• Most of us arrange our bedrooms based purely on personal preference.• Our personal preference is to cook pork, particularly the loin cuts, so that it is slightly pink and remains moist.• There are definite regional preferences amongst our clients.• This extremely flexible system allows the hotel to tailor service preferences for each guest.• When he provided nests on two tiers, hens showed a strong preference for the lower level.• Oil or vinegar may be added for a more bland or sharp sauce, according to your preference.in preference to something• Transaction costs have encouraged firms to expand their own internal capacity in preference to extensive reliance on outside suppliers.• I like paying with credit cards in preference to cash.• These factors also influence the demand for one sort of drink in preference to another.• Therefore, it seems shareholders should absorb the risks of an enterprise in preference to management doing so.• The victims of a burglary are often puzzled as to why the thief chose their home in preference to others.• Experiment also shows that the eye learns to travel along the upper edge of a line in preference to the lower edge.• Secondly, there are processes which select certain patterns of motion in preference to others.• The idea of anybody, Marge especially, liking that wall-eyed ox in preference to Dickie made Tom smile.• There are certain clothes we feel comfortable in and which we would wear in preference to all others.give/show preference (to somebody)• Similarly, infants as young as 6 weeks of age consistently show preferences for familiar as compared to unfamiliar faces.• For example, there have already been reports of hospitals giving preference to patients of fundholding general practitioners.• It is blatant, undisguised opportunism by management, showing preference for what can be done, rather than what should be done.• To the extent that rank-ordering means giving preferences to candidates of one party rather than another it is both easy and reasonable.• Flaggers will direct traffic, giving preference to northbound traffic in the morning and southbound in the evening.From Longman Business Dictionarypreferencepref‧e‧rence /ˈprefərəns/ noun1[countable, uncountable] the state of liking something more than something else, or something you like more than another thingPeople were twice as likely to change their brand preference if they liked an advertisement.a change in consumer preference from adjustable-rate to fixed-rate mortgages2[uncountable]COMMERCE when a country treats some countries more favourably than others in international trade, for example through lower import taxesBritain must take a strong line with its trading partners, but without damaging Community preference (=treating goods from the European Union more favourably than others.) 