preferable

Everyday

Preferable means better or more suitable, so you would rather have or choose it. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and formal talk, «X is preferable to Y» means X is the better choice. In school, «it is preferable to show your working» means you should do it. In safety, «walking is preferable to running near the pool». Common phrases: «preferable to», «far preferable», «it is preferable to», «infinitely preferable».

Examples

• A small, friendly school is preferable to a big one for my little brother. tree →
• Sleeping in a tent is preferable to sleeping outside in the rain. tree →
• It is preferable to use a pencil for maths. tree →
• Water is preferable to fizzy drinks when you're thirsty. tree →
• Short sentences are often preferable in instructions. tree →
• Any answer is preferable to a blank space in a test. tree →
• A Carpenter, with equal enthusiasm, proposed timber as a preferable method of defense. tree →

Note

Use «preferable to», not «preferable than». Do not say «more preferable», because «preferable» already means «better». Adverb: «preferably». Say PREF-er-uh-bul (stress on the first syllable).