preferableadj.adv.n.

Brit.

/ˈprɛf(ə)rəbl/, U.S.

/ˈprɛf(ə)rəb(ə)l/

Forms:

α. 1600s– preferable.

β. 1600s preferrible, 1600s– preferrable.

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation; probably modelled on a French lexical item. Etymons: prefer v., -able suffix.

Etymology: < prefer v. + -able suffix, probably after French préférable (1516 in Middle French). Compare Catalan preferible (1696), Spanish preferible (1532), Italian preferibile (1686).For β forms N.E.D. (1907) indicates the stress as preˈferrable . However, it is difficult to establish a direct link between either the -r- or -rr- spellings and the standard or variant stress patterns. With the form preferrible compare -ible suffix.

A. adj.

1. Worthy to be preferred; to be chosen or desired rather than another; more desirable or suitable. Frequently with to.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference > chosen in preference to others > worthy to be preferred

ratherc1384

preferable1606

α.

1606 T. Palmer Ess. Meanes to make Trauailes more Profitable i. 2 The second in number, though in order preferable aboue all things in the world, is the maintenance and exercise of true Religion and Godlinesse.

1666 Bp. S. Parker Free Censvre Platonick Philos. (1667) 142 If Existence..be meerly upon this score preferable before Non-existence.

1701 Answer Memorial in Ballad 32 To gratifie the Desires of whole Bodies of Men, ought to be preferable to the Encouragement of an idle Womans Petition.

1708 Chamberlayne's Magnæ Britanniæ Notitia (1737) ii. iii. 67 A select Number..call'd Preferable Men, who are always employ'd first after the Establish'd Men.

1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 177. ⁋1 A condition far preferable to the fatigue, dependance, and uncertainty of any gainful occupation.

1792 C. Smith Desmond III. xi. 158 I know there are many, many evils in life to which death is infinitely preferable.

1822 M. Graham Jrnl. 17 May in Captain's Wife (1993) 76 It is a rich, strong, and sweetish white wine..infinitely preferable to any of the Cape wines.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxiii. 161 The cold was preferable to the smoke.

1896 A. R. White Youth's Educator x. 110 The first method is preferable.

1910 Washington Post 10 Aug. 3 With macaroni it [sc. cheese] forms a good combination richer in protein than meat, and in every way preferable.

1967 Canad. Med. Assoc. Jrnl. 22 July 154/1 Cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage; for the latter, intracerebral hematoma is a preferable term.

1988 L. Appignanesi Simone de Beauvoir ii. 37 Sartre..loved women, felt that their sensuality made them far preferable as companions to men.

β. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Preferable, preferrable.1662 J. Glanvill Lux Orientalis iii. 34 Will..be preferrible to both the former.1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. vi. iv. sig. Nn5 The Question, Whether a publick or a private life be preferrable?a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) To Rdr. 1 The Mosaical System..is..highly preferrible before the Sentiments of those Philosophers [etc.].1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 522. ⁋1 He that has excellent Talents..is preferrable to him who is only rich.1770 H. Kelly Word to Wise v. 80 Death itself is infinitely preferrable to the idea of offending her.1800 Persian Tales I. 150 I will set myself free from the tyranny of my fortune: any death is preferrable to a life so full of pain.1853 Times 5 Sept. 3/2 To be let on lease, in the most preferrable part of the New road, a 12-roomed house, with iron staircase.1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 1 July a12 I might say with the advent of the cruise missile as a possible alternative, that the Secretary of Defense agrees with me that his is a preferrable decision.1991 Constr. Weekly 27 Mar. 15/1 Hand excavation in compressed air was chosen as the preferrable tunnelling method after Delta studied bore logs taken from the route.

†2. Displaying preference; preferential. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference

preferable1747

the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference > chosen in preference to others

predilectc1475

pre-electc1475

elective1643

preferable1747

preferential1754

predilected1767

preferred1777

1747 S. Richardson Clarissa I. ix. 53 What preferable favour I may have for him to any other person, is owing more to the usage he has received, and for my sake borne, than to any personal consideration.

1795 E. Parsons Voluntary Exile I. 142 The young lady..behaved with that decorum and apparent disinterestedness, with now and then such little lapses, as indicated her preferable affection for him.

1804 ‘Gabrielli’ Something Odd! III. 132 Notwithstanding her preferable affection for the brandy bottle.

1811 R. B. Sheridan in T. Moore Mem. Life R. B. Sheridan (1825) xxi. 666 I shall as..cordially endeavour to..assist Mr. Benjamin Wyatt in the improving and perfecting his plan as if it had been my own preferable selection.

3. Finance. = preferred adj. 4.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > stocks, shares, or bonds > [adjective] > types of securities

unissued1703

preferable1837

ordinary1866

pre-preference1867

gilt-edge1880

gilt-edged1881

unlisted1882

voting1883

assented1907

voteless1908

senior1914

well-traded1936

medium-dated1943

off-board1943

go-go1966

unquoted1969

alpha1984

gamma1986

1837 Times 17 Mar. 4/5 Over these docks the Government hold a preferable security for the debt in question.

1913 Act 3 & 4 George V c. 20 §97 (1) Such preferable securities as existed at the date of the sequestration, and are not null or reducible.

1922 Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent 6 Sept. 1/6 The finance committee has prepared a report of preferable stocks and bonds.

1997 CFO (Nexis) Dec. 30 However, firms that have issued preferable stocks still are experiencing a number of losses.

†B. adv.

Preferably, in preference to. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adverb] > in preference to something else

ratherc1300

heldera1400

tittera1400

ererc1425

soon1457

rathest1556

would rather1557

first1580

preferablya1645

choosingly1651

preferable1683

ruther1809

1683 W. Temple Mem. in Wks. (1731) I. 420 His entering into it with me preferable to all others.

1769 H. Brooke Fool of Quality IV. xvii. 127 If the reader loves amusement preferable to instruction.

C. n.

In plural. Things to be preferred; agreeable or pleasing things. Chiefly with reference to Stoic philosophy.

ΚΠ

1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero Five Bks. De Finibus iii. 192 Unless we render both as before, Præposita, or Præcipua, Preferables; and Rejecta, Things Disagreeable.

1711 tr. S. Werenfels Disc. Logomachys 20 The Stoicks..denying Riches to be good things, but calling them Preferables.

1850 Ladies' Repository Jan. 6 He had many of those advantages which the Stoics classed as ‘preferables’—a beautiful countenance, modest mien, and engaging manners.

1873 W. E. H. Lecky Hist. European Morals I. ii. 202 The Stoics..admitted that health, friends, &c., should be sought, not as ‘goods’ but as ‘preferables’.

1978 16th Cent. Jrnl. 9 86 Had he used his terms in a Stoic sense he would have defined the honestum as the summum et unicum bonum and the utile as a synonym of the Stoic preferables, or adiaphora.

2005 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 2 Sept. At this point it is important to prioritise your list into the ‘must haves’ and the ‘preferables’.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	preferable
释义	preferableadj.adv.n. Brit. /ˈprɛf(ə)rəbl/, U.S. /ˈprɛf(ə)rəb(ə)l/ Forms: α. 1600s– preferable. β. 1600s preferrible, 1600s– preferrable. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation; probably modelled on a French lexical item. Etymons: prefer v., -able suffix. Etymology: < prefer v. + -able suffix, probably after French préférable (1516 in Middle French). Compare Catalan preferible (1696), Spanish preferible (1532), Italian preferibile (1686).For β forms N.E.D. (1907) indicates the stress as preˈferrable . However, it is difficult to establish a direct link between either the -r- or -rr- spellings and the standard or variant stress patterns. With the form preferrible compare -ible suffix. A. adj. 1. Worthy to be preferred; to be chosen or desired rather than another; more desirable or suitable. Frequently with to. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference > chosen in preference to others > worthy to be preferred ratherc1384 preferable1606 α. 1606 T. Palmer Ess. Meanes to make Trauailes more Profitable i. 2 The second in number, though in order preferable aboue all things in the world, is the maintenance and exercise of true Religion and Godlinesse. 1666 Bp. S. Parker Free Censvre Platonick Philos. (1667) 142 If Existence..be meerly upon this score preferable before Non-existence. 1701 Answer Memorial in Ballad 32 To gratifie the Desires of whole Bodies of Men, ought to be preferable to the Encouragement of an idle Womans Petition. 1708 Chamberlayne's Magnæ Britanniæ Notitia (1737) ii. iii. 67 A select Number..call'd Preferable Men, who are always employ'd first after the Establish'd Men. 1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 177. ⁋1 A condition far preferable to the fatigue, dependance, and uncertainty of any gainful occupation. 1792 C. Smith Desmond III. xi. 158 I know there are many, many evils in life to which death is infinitely preferable. 1822 M. Graham Jrnl. 17 May in Captain's Wife (1993) 76 It is a rich, strong, and sweetish white wine..infinitely preferable to any of the Cape wines. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxiii. 161 The cold was preferable to the smoke. 1896 A. R. White Youth's Educator x. 110 The first method is preferable. 1910 Washington Post 10 Aug. 3 With macaroni it [sc. cheese] forms a good combination richer in protein than meat, and in every way preferable. 1967 Canad. Med. Assoc. Jrnl. 22 July 154/1 Cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage; for the latter, intracerebral hematoma is a preferable term. 1988 L. Appignanesi Simone de Beauvoir ii. 37 Sartre..loved women, felt that their sensuality made them far preferable as companions to men. β. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Preferable, preferrable.1662 J. Glanvill Lux Orientalis iii. 34 Will..be preferrible to both the former.1665 R. Boyle Occas. Refl. vi. iv. sig. Nn5 The Question, Whether a publick or a private life be preferrable?a1676 M. Hale Primitive Originat. Mankind (1677) To Rdr. 1 The Mosaical System..is..highly preferrible before the Sentiments of those Philosophers [etc.].1712 R. Steele Spectator No. 522. ⁋1 He that has excellent Talents..is preferrable to him who is only rich.1770 H. Kelly Word to Wise v. 80 Death itself is infinitely preferrable to the idea of offending her.1800 Persian Tales I. 150 I will set myself free from the tyranny of my fortune: any death is preferrable to a life so full of pain.1853 Times 5 Sept. 3/2 To be let on lease, in the most preferrable part of the New road, a 12-roomed house, with iron staircase.1977 Washington Post (Nexis) 1 July a12 I might say with the advent of the cruise missile as a possible alternative, that the Secretary of Defense agrees with me that his is a preferrable decision.1991 Constr. Weekly 27 Mar. 15/1 Hand excavation in compressed air was chosen as the preferrable tunnelling method after Delta studied bore logs taken from the route. †2. Displaying preference; preferential. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference preferable1747 the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adjective] > relating to preference > chosen in preference to others predilectc1475 pre-electc1475 elective1643 preferable1747 preferential1754 predilected1767 preferred1777 1747 S. Richardson Clarissa I. ix. 53 What preferable favour I may have for him to any other person, is owing more to the usage he has received, and for my sake borne, than to any personal consideration. 1795 E. Parsons Voluntary Exile I. 142 The young lady..behaved with that decorum and apparent disinterestedness, with now and then such little lapses, as indicated her preferable affection for him. 1804 ‘Gabrielli’ Something Odd! III. 132 Notwithstanding her preferable affection for the brandy bottle. 1811 R. B. Sheridan in T. Moore Mem. Life R. B. Sheridan (1825) xxi. 666 I shall as..cordially endeavour to..assist Mr. Benjamin Wyatt in the improving and perfecting his plan as if it had been my own preferable selection. 3. Finance. = preferred adj. 4. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > stocks and shares > stocks, shares, or bonds > [adjective] > types of securities unissued1703 preferable1837 ordinary1866 pre-preference1867 gilt-edge1880 gilt-edged1881 unlisted1882 voting1883 assented1907 voteless1908 senior1914 well-traded1936 medium-dated1943 off-board1943 go-go1966 unquoted1969 alpha1984 gamma1986 1837 Times 17 Mar. 4/5 Over these docks the Government hold a preferable security for the debt in question. 1913 Act 3 & 4 George V c. 20 §97 (1) Such preferable securities as existed at the date of the sequestration, and are not null or reducible. 1922 Monessen (Pa.) Daily Independent 6 Sept. 1/6 The finance committee has prepared a report of preferable stocks and bonds. 1997 CFO (Nexis) Dec. 30 However, firms that have issued preferable stocks still are experiencing a number of losses. †B. adv. Preferably, in preference to. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > free will > choice or choosing > types of choice > [adverb] > in preference to something else ratherc1300 heldera1400 tittera1400 ererc1425 soon1457 rathest1556 would rather1557 first1580 preferablya1645 choosingly1651 preferable1683 ruther1809 1683 W. Temple Mem. in Wks. (1731) I. 420 His entering into it with me preferable to all others. 1769 H. Brooke Fool of Quality IV. xvii. 127 If the reader loves amusement preferable to instruction. C. n. In plural. Things to be preferred; agreeable or pleasing things. Chiefly with reference to Stoic philosophy. ΚΠ 1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero Five Bks. De Finibus iii. 192 Unless we render both as before, Præposita, or Præcipua, Preferables; and Rejecta, Things Disagreeable. 1711 tr. S. Werenfels Disc. Logomachys 20 The Stoicks..denying Riches to be good things, but calling them Preferables. 1850 Ladies' Repository Jan. 6 He had many of those advantages which the Stoics classed as ‘preferables’—a beautiful countenance, modest mien, and engaging manners. 1873 W. E. H. Lecky Hist. European Morals I. ii. 202 The Stoics..admitted that health, friends, &c., should be sought, not as ‘goods’ but as ‘preferables’. 1978 16th Cent. Jrnl. 9 86 Had he used his terms in a Stoic sense he would have defined the honestum as the summum et unicum bonum and the utile as a synonym of the Stoic preferables, or adiaphora. 2005 N.Z. Herald (Nexis) 2 Sept. At this point it is important to prioritise your list into the ‘must haves’ and the ‘preferables’. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.adv.n.1606
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