dispreference

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noun

The quality or state of preferring a thing less than an alternative.

Opposite
preference
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Meanings

noundispreference (countable and uncountable, plural dispreferences)

plural dispreferences

  1. countableformaluncountableThe quality or state of preferring a thing less than an alternative.

    As Levinson (1983: 334) points out, signs of dispreference in turn taking include: (a) Delays: notably a pause, or a time gap, before the responder replies to the preceding turn […]

    2014, Geoffrey N. Leech, The Pragmatics of Politeness, page 31

    Antonyms: preference

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe quality or state of preferring a thing less than an alternative.

Opposite
preference

Origin

From dis- + preference.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

dispreference. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dispreference

MLA

“dispreference.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dispreference. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dispreference,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dispreference.

Source: dispreference on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.