[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

prefer \prefer"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. preferred; p. pr.  vb.
   n. preferring. f. pr'ef'erer, l. praeferre; prae
   before + ferre to bear or carry. see 1st bear.
   1. to carry or bring something forward, or before one;
      hence, to bring for consideration, acceptance, judgment,
      etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to address; --
      said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim,
      charge, etc.
      1913 webster

            he spake, and to her hand preferred the bowl.
                                                  --pope.
      1913 webster

            presently prefer his suit to caesar. --shak.
      1913 webster

            three tongues prefer strange orisons on high.
                                                  --byron.
      1913 webster

   2. to go before, or be before, in estimation; to outrank; to
      surpass. obs. "though maidenhood prefer bigamy."
      --chaucer.
      1913 webster

   3. to cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as
      to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote;
      as, to prefer an officer to the rank of general.
      1913 webster

            i would prefer him to a better place. --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. to set above or before something else in estimation,
      favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to
      hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed
      by to, before, or above.
      1913 webster

            if i prefer not jerusalem above my chief joy. --ps.
                                                  cxxxvii. 6.
      1913 webster

            preferred an infamous peace before a most just war.
                                                  --knolles.
      1913 webster

   preferred stock, stock which takes a dividend before other
      capital stock; -- called also preference stock and
      preferential stock.
      1913 webster

   syn: to choose; elect. see choose.
        1913 webster
see also:
preferred preferring bear preferred stock preference stock preferential stock 
choose 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

prefer
     v 1: like better; value more highly; "some people prefer camping
          to staying in hotels"; "we prefer sleeping outside"
     2: select as an alternative; choose instead; prefer as an
        alternative; "i always choose the fish over the meat
        courses in this restaurant"; "she opted for the job on the
        east coast" syn: choose, opt
     3: promote over another; "he favors his second daughter" syn:
        favor, favour
     4: give preference to one creditor over another
     also: preferring, preferred
see also:
choose opt favor favour preferring preferred 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

108 moby thesaurus words for "prefer":
   advance, aggrandize, aim at, approve, be desirous of,
   be disposed to, be partial to, bring before, bring forward,
   bring up, broach, choose, choose rather, commend to attention,
   cull, desiderate, desire, discriminate, elect, elevate, embrace,
   ennoble, enter, espouse, esteem, exalt, extend, fancy, favor,
   feel about it, file, graduate, have a bias, have designs on,
   have preference, have rather, hold forth, hold out, honor before,
   incline toward, introduce, kick upstairs, knight, launch,
   lay before, lean toward, lean towards, like, like better, lodge,
   look at it, love, lust, lust after, make a motion, mark, moot,
   move, offer, offer a resolution, open up, opt for, pass, pick,
   play favorites, please, pose, postulate, prefer to, present,
   proffer, promote, propose, proposition, propound, put, put forth,
   put forward, put it to, put up, raise, rather, recommend, see fit,
   select, set before, set forth, show preference, single out, start,
   submit, suggest, take, take to, tend toward, tender, think best,
   think fit, think proper, treat unequally, up, upgrade, view, want,
   wish, wish to goodness, wish very much, would fain do

Prefer >> P Words
Prefer, definition of term: Prefer
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