Hypertext Webster Gateway: "preference"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Preference \Pref"er*ence\, n. [Cf. F. pr['e]f['e]rence.]
1. The act of Preferring, or the state of being preferred;
the setting of one thing before another; precedence;
higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power
or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his
preference.
Leave the critics on either side to contend about
the preference due to this or that sort of poetry.
--Dryden.
Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our
reasonings, and preference of one man's knowledge
over another's. --Locke.
2. That which is preferred; the object of choice or superior
favor; as, which is your preference?
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
preference
n 1: a strong liking; "my own preference is for good literature";
"the Irish have a penchant for blarney" [syn: {penchant},
{predilection}, {taste}]
2: a predisposition in favor of something; "a predilection for
expensive cars"; "his sexual preferences"; "showed a
Marxist orientation" [syn: {predilection}, {orientation}]
3: the right or chance to choose: "given my druthers, I'd eat
cake" [syn: {druthers}]
4: grant of favor or advantage to one over another (esp to a
country or countries in matters of international trade
such as levying duties)
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