prefer

English

From Anglo-Norman, Middle French preferer, (French préférer), from Latin praeferō.

prefer (third-person singular simple present prefers, present participle preferring, simple past and past participle preferred)

(transitive, now dated) To advance, promote (someone). [from 14th c.]
- 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.2:
  Tiberius preferred many to honours in his time, because they were famous whoremasters and sturdy drinkers [...].
(transitive) To be in the habit of choosing something rather than something else; to favor; to like better. [from 14th c.]
- I prefer tea to coffee.
- 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 8, The Younger Set^[1]:
  “ My tastes,” he said, still smiling, “ incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet.” And, to tease her and arouse her to combat : “ I prefer a farandole to a nocturne ; I'd rather have a painting than an etching ; … ”
(transitive) To present or submit (something) to an authority (now usually in "to prefer charges"). [from 16th c.]
(obsolete, transitive) To put forward for acceptance; to introduce, recommend (to). [16th-19th c.]
- 1630, John Smith, True Travels, in Kupperman 1988, p. 36:
  one Master David Hume, who making some use of his purse, gave him Letters to his friends in Scotland to preferre him to King James.
- 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, XVII:
  Such were the arguments which my will boldly preferred to my conscience, as coin which ought to be current, and which conscience, like a grumbling shopkeeper, was contented to accept [...].

The verb can be used in three different forms:
1. prefer + noun + to(or over) + noun. Example: I prefer coffee to tea.
2. prefer + gerund + to(or over) + gerund. Example: I prefer skiing to swimming.
3. prefer + full infinitive + rather than + bare infinitive. Example: I prefer to eat fish rather than (eat) meat.

to favor

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