verb

prefer

prih-FUR

verb

To like one thing better than another.

"I prefer tea to coffee in the mornings."

"She prefers to work from home whenever possible."

How to Use Prefer

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo choose or favor one option over another.

Common mistake

Use "prefer X to Y" (not "prefer X than Y") — "I prefer tea to coffee," not "than coffee."

Common pairings

prefer something to something else would prefer prefer not to

preferred past tense, prefers singular

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I _____ tea to coffee in the mornings.

From Latin praeferre, \"to carry before, put first,\" from prae- (\"before\") plus ferre (\"to carry\").

defer refer reefer Kiefer Keefer Schaefer