preferable
Americanadjective
Usage
Since preferable already means more desirable, one should not say something is more preferable or most preferable
Other Word Forms
- nonpreferability noun
- nonpreferable adjective
- nonpreferableness noun
- nonpreferably adverb
- preferability noun
- preferableness noun
- preferably adverb
- unpreferable adjective
- unpreferableness noun
- unpreferably adverb
Etymology
Origin of preferable
From the French word préfsptérable, dating back to 1640–50. See prefer, -able
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Generally, this is preferable to asking a hypothetical in opinion polls, which are getting more difficult than ever to do well.
From Salon
Europe’s regulatory machine is slow and bureaucratic, but for long-term decisions, slow and predictable is preferable to fast and erratic.
He might offer you an icicle treat or ask your opinion on whether a mid-late-morning nap is preferable to a late-mid-afternoon nap.
From Literature
Given the uncertainties, some former military officers said a diplomatic agreement could be preferable to war.
For Grimsby boss Artell, a "bowling green" surface much closer in quality to the one his side stunned Manchester United on in the League Cup earlier this season would also have been preferable.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
