preference

preference (ˈprɛfərəns, ˈprɛfrəns)

—n
1.	the act of preferring
2.	something or someone preferred
3.	law
	a. the settling of the claims of one or more creditors before or to the exclusion of those of the others
	b. a prior right to payment, as of a dividend or share in the assets of a company in the event of liquidation
4.	commerce the granting of favour or precedence to particular foreign countries, as by levying differential tariffs

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Word Origin & History

preference

1650s, "act of prefering," from prefer + -ence. Sense of "that which one prefers" is from 1864.

Example sentences

We provide furnished housing as a choice of either an apartment or a villa

depending on your preference.

Even rats with low preference for booze drank significantly less after

treatment.

Preference will be given to candidates that can also teach genetics, cell

biology and/or microbiology.

Preference will be given to those with established research programs.

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Matching Quote

"...I didn't consider intellectuals intelligent, I never liked them or their thoughts about life. I defined them as people who care nothing for argument, who are interested only in information; or as people who have a preference for learning things rather than experiencing them. They have opinions but no point of view.... Their talk is the gloomiest type of human discourse I know.... This is a red flag to my nature. Intellectuals, to me have no natures ..."

-Margaret Anderson