pref‧e‧rence W3 / pref ə rəns / 名词

1 [可数和不可数名词] if you have a preference for something, you like it more than another thing and will choose it if you can → prefer :

Do you have a colour preference ?

preference for

a cultural preference for boy babies

Parents may be able to express a preference as to the school their child will attend.

The amount of sugar you add will depend on personal preference .

Many elderly people expressed a strong preference to live in their own homes.

in preference to something (= rather than something )

Use clear English in preference to technical language.

2 [可数和不可数名词] when someone is treated more favourably than other people, often when he or she has been treated unfairly in the past :

Racial preferences are a way to make up for years of discrimination against minorities.

give/show preference (to somebody)

In allocating housing, preference is given to families with young children.

3 sexual preference someone’s sexual preference is whether they want to have sex with men or women

COLLOCATIONS

动词

have a preference Do you have a preference for red or white wine?

express a preference He avoided expressing a preference for any of the remaining Democratic candidates.

show a preference Females showed a preference for long-tailed males.

ADJECTIVES/NOUN + preference

a strong preference In some countries, there is still a strong preference for sons.

a clear preference There was a clear preference amongst the staff for this style of leadership.

a marked preference (= strong and clear ) The animals have a marked preference for woodland.

a personal preference My personal preference is to eat meat only once or twice a week.

individual preferences This partnership can take a variety of forms, depending on individual preferences.

consumer preferences Information about local consumer preferences can be used by a manufacturer’s sales force.

food preferences Very young children may have clear food preferences.

短语

in order of preference Please list your choice of colleges in order of preference.

be a matter of personal preference (= be something that you can choose, according to what you like ) Which one you decide to buy is just a matter of personal preference.