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preference

   Also found in: Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
pref·er·ence  (prfr-ns, prfrns)
n.
1.
a. The selecting of someone or something over another or others.
b. The right or chance to so choose.
c. Someone or something so chosen. See Synonyms at choice.
2. The state of being preferred.
3. Law
a. A priority of payment given to one or more creditors by an insolvent debtor.
b. The right of a creditor to priority of payment.
4. The granting of precedence or advantage to one country or group of countries in levying duties or in other matters of international trade.

[Middle English preferraunce, preferment, from Old French preference, from preferer, to prefer; see prefer.]

preference
Noun
1. a liking for one thing above the rest
2. a person or thing preferred
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.preferencepreference - a strong liking; "my own preference is for good literature"; "the Irish have a penchant for blarney"
liking - a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment; "I've always had a liking for reading"; "she developed a liking for gin"
acquired taste - a preference that is only acquired after considerable experience; "martinis are an acquired taste"
weakness - a penchant for something even though it might not be good for you; "he has a weakness for chocolate"
2.preference - a predisposition in favor of something; "a predilection for expensive cars"; "his sexual preferences"; "showed a Marxist orientation"
predisposition - an inclination beforehand to interpret statements in a particular way
3.preference - the right or chance to choose; "given my druthers, I'd eat cake"
alternative, option, choice - one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen; "what option did I have?"; "there no other alternative"; "my only choice is to refuse"
wish - the particular preference that you have; "it was his last wish"; "they should respect the wishes of the people"
4.preference - grant of favor or advantage to one over another (especially to a country or countries in matters of international trade, such as levying duties)
advantage, vantage - the quality of having a superior or more favorable position; "the experience gave him the advantage over me"

preference
2. first choice, choice, favourite, election, pick, option, selection, top of the list, fave (informal)
noun 3. priority, first place, precedence, advantage, favouritism, pride of place, favoured treatment
Translations
preference [ˈprɛfrəns] npreferencia;
in preference to sth → antes que algo
preference [ˈprɛfrəns] prefer npréférence f;
in preference to sth → plutôt que qch, de préférence à qch
preference [ˈprɛfrəns] prefer n to have a preference for (liking) → eine Vorliebe haben für;
I drink beer in preference to wine prefer → ich trinke lieber Bier als Wein;
to give preference to prefer (priority) → vorziehen, Vorrang einräumen +dat
preference [ˈprɛfrəns] npreferenza;
in preference to sth → piuttosto che qc


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Now in the generality of free states, the governors and the governed alternately change place; for an equality without any preference is what nature chooses; however, when one governs and another is governed, she endeavours that there should be a distinction between them in forms, expressions, and honours; according to what Amasis said of his laver.
If, in the maiden days of the Dodson sisters, their Bibles opened more easily at some parts than others, it was because of dried tulip-petals, which had been distributed quite impartially, without preference for the historical, devotional, or doctrinal.
She was far from depending on that result of his preference of her, which her mother and sister still considered as certain.
 
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