the fact that you like something or someone more than another thing or person

Her preference is for comfortable rather than stylish clothes. 她更注重衣服的舒适性，而非时髦的款式。

I have a preference for sweet food over spicy. 比起辛辣食物我更喜欢甜食。

Choosing furniture is largely a matter of personal preference. 挑选家具主要是个人喜好的问题。

It would be wrong to discriminate against a candidate because of their sexual preference (= the sex of the people they are sexually attracted to). 出于应聘者的性取向而对他们有所歧视是错误的。

an advantage that is given to a person or a group of people

We give preference to those who have worked with us for a long time. 我们优先考虑那些和我们长期共事的人。

Special preferences were offered initially to encourage investment. 给予特殊优先权最初是为了鼓励投资。

If you choose one thing in preference to another thing, you choose it because you like or want it more than the other thing.

He studied chemistry in preference to physics at university. 出于喜好，他大学里学的是化学而非物理。

He would always use ten words in preference to two.

If you forbid children to eat certain foods, they will often want them in preference to others.

He arranged to go to Perth in preference to staying in Canberra.

Their current strategy seems to be to seek peace in preference to military confrontation.