as in rather
by choice or preference
I like football, but preferably watching from the stands rather than being down on the field
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preferably
Culbreath recommends wide-leg styles that have a dark wash (indigo or black—preferably without fading).
—
Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 7 May 2025
Two years ago, Aidan Butler, chief executive of 1/st Racing, which will operate the Preakness for two years before surrendering to Maryland regulatory agencies, pushed for a new schedule with three or preferably four weeks between races.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Just enjoy the brownie, preferably with a glass of milk.
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 9 May 2025
To satisfy any of these cravings, Putin will have to reach a peace agreement, preferably supplemented by an economic deal, or series of deals, with Trump.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 7 May 2025
Two years ago, Aidan Butler, chief executive of 1/st Racing, which will operate the Preakness for two years before surrendering to Maryland regulatory agencies, pushed for a new schedule with three or preferably four weeks between races.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Just enjoy the brownie, preferably with a glass of milk.
—Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 9 May 2025
To satisfy any of these cravings, Putin will have to reach a peace agreement, preferably supplemented by an economic deal, or series of deals, with Trump.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferably
rather
Adverb
-
Adam wasn't killed by Ethan or Gentry goons, but rather Nicky.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
-
This is not due to aging itself, but rather to older adults being more likely to take medications that dry their mouths or have conditions that can cause dry mouth, such as dehydration, like diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.3 2.—
Lana Barhum,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preferably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferably. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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