Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to prefer
Participle: preferred
Gerund: preferring
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | prefer |
| you | prefer |
| he;she;it | prefers |
| we | prefer |
| you | prefer |
| they | prefer |
Perfect
| I | have preferred |
| you | have preferred |
| he;she;it | has preferred |
| we | have preferred |
| you | have preferred |
| they | have preferred |
Past
| I | preferred |
| you | preferred |
| he;she;it | preferred |
| we | preferred |
| you | preferred |
| they | preferred |
Pluperfect
| I | had preferred |
| you | had preferred |
| he;she;it | had preferred |
| we | had preferred |
| you | had preferred |
| they | had preferred |
Future
| I | will prefer |
| you | will prefer |
| he;she;it | will prefer |
| we | will prefer |
| you | will prefer |
| they | will prefer |
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 |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | prefer |
| you | prefer |
| he;she;it | prefer |
| we | prefer |
| you | prefer |
| they | prefer |
Perfect
| I | have preferred |
| you | have preferred |
| he;she;it | have preferred |
| we | have preferred |
| you | have preferred |
| they | have preferred |
Imperfect
| I | preferred |
| you | preferred |
| he;she;it | preferred |
| we | preferred |
| you | preferred |
| they | preferred |
Pluperfect
| I | had preferred |
| you | had preferred |
| he;she;it | had preferred |
| we | had preferred |
| you | had preferred |
| they | had preferred |
Conditional
Present
| I | would prefer |
| you | would prefer |
| he;she;it | would prefer |
| we | would prefer |
| you | would prefer |
| they | would prefer |
Perfect
| I | would have preferred |
| you | would have preferred |
| he;she;it | would have preferred |
| we | would have preferred |
| you | would have preferred |
| they | would have preferred |
Imperative
| you | prefer |
| we | Let's prefer |
| you | prefer |
Verbs conjugated like 'prefer'
abet,
abhor,
abut,
acquit,
admit,
affrap,
allot,
alum,
amel,
amit,
anagram,
anvil,
apparel,
aret,
arret,
assot,
astun,
attrap,
augur,
avel, etc. (List truncated at 20 verbs)
Verbs similar to 'prefer'
præfer,
preferr,
profer,
refer,
defer,
peer,
peter,
pilfer,
precel,
prede,
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- favor
- choose, elect, fancy, pick, select
- offer
- advance, present, proffer, promote, tender
Antonyms
- favor
- disfavor, disapproval, refusal, prohibition
- offer
- refuse, deny, reject, withdraw
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. 1388, "to put forward or advance in rank or fortune, to promote," from L.
præferre "place or set before, carry in front," from
præ- "before" +
ferre "to carry, to place" (see infer). Meaning "to esteem (something) more than others" is recorded from 1390. Original sense in Eng. is preserved in
preferment (1451).
Preference "act of prefering" is recorded from 1656; sense of "that which one prefers" is from 1864.
Preferential is first recorded 1849.
2. From Middle English preferren, from Anglo-Norman preferer, from Latin praeferō. Displaced native Old English foresettan and foreberan. Doublet of prelate. See also infer, relate and refer, delate and defer, as well as collate and confer among others. See: Middle English '
preferren', Latin '
praeferō'.
Verbs referencing "prefer"
Spanish
preferir.
Sample Sentences
-
‘The mother now sought to caress her, but poor Laura repelled her, preferring to be with her acquaintances.
(American Notes for General Circulation)
-
“ How ? ” said Marie. “ Why, I was obliged to let him understand explicitly that I preferred to keep _some_ of my clothes for my own personal wearing; also, I put his magnificence upon an allowance of cologne-water, and actually was so cruel as to restrict him to one dozen of my cambric [...]
(Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
-
CHAPTER XVIII CONCLUDING REMARKS THERE are many passages in this book, where I have been at some pains to resist the temptation of troubling my readers with my own deductions and conclusions: preferring that they should judge for themselves, from such premises as I have laid before them. My only object in the outset, was, to carry them with me faithfully wheresoever I went: and that task I have [...]
(American Notes for General Circulation)