Dictionary

preferable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pɹəˈfɜː.ɹə.b(ə)l/
• /ˈpɹɛf.(ə.)ɹə.b(ə)l/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɹef.ɹə.b(ə)l/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˈpɹef.(ə.)ɹə.b(ə)l/ (Australia)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From prefer + -able, probably after Middle French preferable. Compare preference, preferential, etc.

Meanings

1. Better than some other option; preferred.
   • This work has been the care and ſtudy of ſome years; as far as health, and other affairs, would permit. For, this appeared, to the author, of as much greater importance, than any other hiſtory whatever; as morality and religion are more excellent, than any temporal affairs; and the hiſtory of true religion, præferrable to that of impoſtures and deluſions. 1756, George Benson, “The Præface. To the First Edition.”, in The History of the First Planting of the Christian Religion: Taken from the Acts of the Apostles, and Their Epistles. Together with the Remarkable Facts of the Jewish and Roman History; Which Affected the Christians, Within This Period., the second edition, volume the first, London: […] J. Waugh and W. Fenner, page v:
   • If you’re looking for the most breathable mask, Lukovics says, “Cotton is preferable, mainly for absorbing moisture/sweat.” She says multiple layers may be more protective but will also impact breathability. 2021 August 17, Elizabeth Wallace and Kai Burkhardt, “12 breathable face masks to protect you while exercising”, in CNN:
   • It is not to the point that an inequality of material goods, at high levels, may not be preferable to an equality of material goods at a lower level, precisely for such reasons as self-respect. 2007, Ted Honderich, On political means and social ends, →ISBN, page 94:
   • While adopting the pronoun as a nonbinary description is vastly preferable for some, Merriam-Webster says, there has also been some debate that it is ungrammatical. 2019 September 17, Kendall Trammell, “Merriam-Webster adds the nonbinary pronoun ‘they’ to its dictionary”, in CNN:

Forms

Deriveds

unpreferable · preferableness · preferably · preferability

Translations (42)

cmn 更好的 (better than some other option) · pl lepszy (better than some other option) · ru лу́чший (better than some other option) · be найле́пшы (better than some other option) · it preferibile (better than some other option) · es preferible (better than some other option) · cmn 更合意的 (better than some other option) · nl preferabel (better than some other option) · sa श्रेयस् (better than some other option) · ru наилу́чший (better than some other option) · nl verkieslijk (better than some other option) · cmn 更可取的 (better than some other option) · ka უპირატესი (better than some other option) · uk найлі́пший (better than some other option) · ru предпочти́тельный (better than some other option) · uk найкра́щий (better than some other option) · sk výhodnejší (better than some other option) · ko 더 좋다 (better than some other option) · el προτιμητέος (better than some other option) · ca preferible (better than some other option) · be ле́пшы (better than some other option) · fi parempi (better than some other option) · pl bardziej odpowiedni (better than some other option) · ka უმჯობესი (better than some other option) · ja ましな (better than some other option) · cmn 较好的 (better than some other option) · ja 〜より好ましい (better than some other option) · ro preferabil (better than some other option) · de bevorzugt (better than some other option) · fr préférable (better than some other option) · mk претпочитлив (better than some other option) · cmn 較好 /较好 (better than some other option) · cs výhodnější (better than some other option) · nrf préféthabl'ye (better than some other option) · cmn 更適宜的 /更适宜的 (better than some other option) · ar مُفَضَّل (better than some other option) · uk кра́щий (better than some other option) · ar أَفْضَل (better than some other option) · pl odpowiedniejszy (better than some other option) · pt preferível (better than some other option) · la potior (better than some other option) · bg предпочи́тан (better than some other option)