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
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
Stellar cocktails are always calling her name (preferably tequila, mezcal, or gin these days) as are the perfect spots to sip champagne.
—Christina Liao, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
Automate Early Contributions To Maximize Long-Term Growth The most important strategy for saving for children's college funds is to set up an automatic savings plan as soon as possible, preferably when they're born so that funds are automatically deposited into an investment account.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
Stellar cocktails are always calling her name (preferably tequila, mezcal, or gin these days) as are the perfect spots to sip champagne.
—Christina Liao, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors.
—Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 2 July 2025
Automate Early Contributions To Maximize Long-Term Growth The most important strategy for saving for children's college funds is to set up an automatic savings plan as soon as possible, preferably when they're born so that funds are automatically deposited into an investment account.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferably
rather
Adverb
-
Some can serve as bulking agents, absorbing and retaining water all that stuff moving through your gastrointestinal tract so that in the end, or rather out the end your poo can move more readily.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Neither of the ladies’ approaches is at all effective and, instead, rather harmful.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preferably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferably. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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