What does prefer mean?
Prefer is a common English verb meaning to like or choose something more than an alternative. People use it to compare two options, as in “I prefer tea to coffee,” or to express a choice between possible actions, as in “She would prefer to leave early.” The word is flexible in register and can appear in ordinary conversation, professional discussion, and formal writing. It often implies a considered preference rather than an absolute dislike of the alternative: preferring one season does not necessarily mean disliking every other season. Prefer can also describe putting something ahead of another thing in importance or order. Because it combines personal choice with the idea of ranking alternatives, it appears in everyday decisions, negotiations, descriptions of preferences, and expressions such as “would prefer” and “prefer not to.”
verbTo like or choose one thing better than another, or to think that something is more desirable. It can also mean to put something first in order of preference.
- To like or choose one thing better than another.
- To wish for or choose a different outcome or course of action.
"She prefers reading quietly to watching television."
"I prefer tea to coffee in the afternoon."
"The council would prefer to postpone the decision until the following week."
Prefer literally means to place before: when you prefer one option, you put it ahead of the others.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does prefer come from?
The word comes through Middle English preferre from Old French preferir, ultimately from Latin praeferre, formed from prae- (“before” or “in front of”) and ferre (“to bring, carry, or place”). The Latin sense was to place or put something before another, which developed into the modern idea of choosing one thing over another. The related English words preference, preferable, and preferably preserve the same historical root.
Related word forms
How prefer is actually used
Common in both formal and informal English. The construction 'prefer A to B' is especially common; 'prefer A over B' is also standard. 'Prefer' generally takes a noun, gerund, or infinitive after it, rather than a bare infinitive in the usual British and American pattern.
Easily confused with prefer
This is the headword; prefer means to choose or regard something as better or more desirable than an alternative.
No standard English word 'preffer' exists; the correctly spelled verb is prefer.