preferential

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pref=er=en=tial

CIDE DICTIONARY

preferential, a. 

 Giving, indicating, or having a preference or precedence; as, a preferential claim; preferential shares.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

preferential, adj.
1 of or involving preference (preferential treatment).
2 giving or receiving a favour.
3 Commerce (of a tariff etc.) favouring particular countries.
4 (of voting) in which the voter puts candidates in order of preference.

Derivative

preferentially adv.

Etymology

as PREFERENCE, after differential

ROGET THESAURUS

preferential

Choice

N choice, option, discretion, preoption, alternative, dilemma, embarras de choix, adoption, cooptation, novation, decision, election, political election (politics), selection, excerption, gleaning, eclecticism, excerpta, gleanings, cuttings, scissors and paste, pick, preference, prelation, opinion poll, survey, predilection, optional, discretional, eclectic, choosing, preferential, chosen, choice, optionally, at pleasure, either the one or the other, or at the option of, whether or not, once and for all, for one's money, by choice, by preference, in preference, rather, before.