Preferable

How to spell preferable

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce preferable

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does preferable mean?

1. adjectiveMore desirable or suitable than another option.

Preferable in a sentence

• A quiet hotel near the station would be preferable to one downtown.

• Paying the balance in full is preferable to carrying the debt for years.

Where does preferable come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adjective grows out of the verb 'prefer', which English took from the Old French preferer in the late 1300s, itself from the Latin praeferre. That Latin verb literally meant 'to carry in front' or 'to set before', from the prefix prae- 'before' and the verb ferre 'to carry or bear', so to prefer something was originally to place it ahead of its rivals. The very same ferre root is hiding inside everyday words like 'transfer' (carry across), 'refer' (carry back), and 'offer' (carry toward). The adjective 'preferable' was assembled by adding the Latin-derived suffix -able, meaning 'worthy of' or 'fit to be', so the whole word means 'fit to be carried in front of the rest'. A useful spelling note: although the verb doubles its r in 'preferred' and 'preferring' (because the stress falls on the final syllable), 'preferable' keeps a single r, since here the stress moves back to the first syllable; that shift is exactly why so many writers wrongly insert a second r.

How the word is built

• pre- (from Latin prae-: before)
• fer (from ferre: to carry, to bear)
• -able (capable of, worthy of)