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
Doing something right now, preferably something that fosters a sense of community, can help get you back on track toward feeling a sense of calm, balance and well-being.
—
Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
To prevent competition, place birdhouses far apart (at least 15 feet apart and preferably 25) and away from feeders.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
The champagne – preferably Cristal or Veuve Clicquot – flowed, and the gourmet food was presented with flair and then some.
—USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
For the Magic to stretch this Eastern Conference first-round series beyond four games, or even hope to threaten the Celtics’ championship defense, someone on the roster — preferably, more than one person — must give Banchero and Wagner some scoring help.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
To prevent competition, place birdhouses far apart (at least 15 feet apart and preferably 25) and away from feeders.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025
The champagne – preferably Cristal or Veuve Clicquot – flowed, and the gourmet food was presented with flair and then some.
—USA Today, 21 Apr. 2025
For the Magic to stretch this Eastern Conference first-round series beyond four games, or even hope to threaten the Celtics’ championship defense, someone on the roster — preferably, more than one person — must give Banchero and Wagner some scoring help.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preferably
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preferably
Adverb
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They had been rather carelessly overfilled and half an inch of gas sloshed on top of the barrels.—
Charles Elliott,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
-
The Leafs’ power play never overwhelmed teams with shot volume and scoring chances, but rather worked the puck to high-danger areas, pounced on rebounds and offered a lot of shooting options between Knies and John Tavares at the net and Matthews and William Nylander from the flanks.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preferably.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preferably. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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