Meanings
adjectivepreferential (comparative more preferential, superlative most preferential)
comparative more preferential · superlative most preferential · alternative preferrential
- Of or relating to the showing or giving of preference.
preferential treatment
1 more example
Club members received preferential seating.
- Of or relating to a voting system in which the voters are allowed to indicate on their ballots their preference (usually their first and second choices) between two or more candidates, so that if no candidate receives a majority of first choices the one receiving the greatest number of first and second choices together is the winner.
preferential voting; the preferential system
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivemanifesting partiality
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From Medieval Latin preferentia + -al.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan preferent
- preferentrelating to preference
Finnish suosiva, etuus-
- suosivarelating to preference
- etuus-relating to preference
French préférentiel
- préférentielrelating to preference
German vorrangig
- vorrangigrelating to preference
Greek προτιμησιακός
- προτιμησιακός (protimisiakós)relating to preference
Irish fabhrach
- fabhrachrelating to preference
Italian preferenziale, di favore
- preferenzialerelating to preference
- di favorerelating to preference
Portuguese preferencial
- preferencialrelating to preference
Russian льго́тный
- льго́тный (lʹgótnyj)relating to preference
Spanish preferente, preferencial
- preferenterelating to preference
- preferencialrelating to preference
Cite this entry
APA
preferential. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preferential
MLA
“preferential.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preferential. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “preferential,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/preferential.
Source: preferential on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.