prefer, v.
(prɪˈfɜː(r))
Also (5 prefarr, profer(e), 5–7 preferre, (6 prefar(re, -phar(re, Sc. præfer, preffer).
[a. F. préférer (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. præfer-re to bear or put before or forward, prefer, advance, f. præ, pre- A. 4, 5 + fer-re to bear.]
I. 1. a. trans. To put forward or advance, in status, rank, or fortune; to promote (to a position or office of dignity).
| 1388 Wyclif Prol. xiii. 50 In this degre..he neither preferrith, neither makith euene himself..with the treuthe [etc.]. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 180 Bot thei that wolden stonde upriht For trouthe only to do justice Preferred were in thilke office. 1429 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 343/2 In Benefices and Offices..when thai voiden, thoo that hath ben' Servauntz..shal be preferred therto. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vi. ccii. 212 The sayde Gerbres was after this preferred by one of the Othons, Emperour, vnto the Churche of Rauenne. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 62 b, Se how our lorde preferred and promoted the great synner to the hyer dignite. 1564–78 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 67 If any man be prepharred by another man and made riche. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. iv. 259 Soluathie..is to the kingdome preferit, elected, and crouned. 1607 Middleton Michaelm. Term ii. ii. 13 Being now happily preferred to a gentleman's service in London. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 288 Schollers [of Eton] instructed in Grammar, and in due time preferred to the Universitie of Cambridge. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Cheshire (1662) i. 177 (After some intermediate Dignities) he was preferred Chief Baron of the Exchequer. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 4 ¶8 Happy..that he never preferred a Man who has not proved remarkably serviceable to his Country. 1878 Simpson Sch. Shaks. I. 55 To the disgust of the soldiers..he was preferred to what hitherto had always been a soldier's post. |
† b. refl. To advance oneself or one's interests.
Obs.| c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. x. (1885) 134 Ther shall non off his tenantes aliene livelod with owt is licence, wheryn he mey best preferre hym selff. 1592 Timme Ten Eng. Lepers D iij, The buyer having an ambicious intent to prefer himselfe thereby. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 50 If hee be..a man of endeavours, and willing to preferre himselfe by service, I wish him to Historie. |
† c. To advance or promote to a position in life;
esp. to settle in marriage.
Cf. preferment 2.
Obs.| 1559 Mirr. Mag., Dk. Glocester ix, And after in mariage I was prefarde To a daughter of Bohan an earle honorable. 1565–6 Child-Marriages 136 To geve and bequethe vnto my Children, beinge not Maried, and not otherwise Competentlie preferred. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 142 After [being] preferred to a good marriage by his Lord. |
† d. fig. pass. To be exalted or made eminent by some quality.
Obs.| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 128 Nor philosophers of every regioune, Nor the prophetes preferred by Science. Ibid. 161 Som man is strong berys for to bynde, Anothir feeble preferryd with prudence. |
e. transf. To promote (in various uses).
| a 1533 in More's Debell. Salem Wks. 1008/2 It wil be hard to find any one spirituall man y{supt} is not infect with the sayd desyre & affeccion to haue the worldlye honour of priestes exalted & preferred. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 449 Alexander..pardoned his boldnesse, and preferred his arte. 1626 Bacon Sylva §439 All Grasiers preferre their Cattel from meaner Pastures to better. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 595 Ev'n though a snowy Ram thou shalt behold, Prefer him not in haste, for Husband to thy Fold. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. v. §33 Birds, beasts, fishes; which, upon their death, are preferred into human bodies. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. (1882) 81 The work was..preferred from the ominous cellar of the publishers to the author's garret. |
† 2. To forward, advance, promote (a result); to assist in bringing about.
Obs.| 1574 Bourne Regiment for Sea xxi. (1577) 58 That effect is most preferred, if the Dragons head be in the beginning; of the figure of Aries. 1590 Lloyd Diall Daies 134 To prosper the corne and the cattell, and to preferre the fruites of the fields. 1600–12 Rowlands Four Knaves (Percy Soc.) 50 Thus fingring money to preferre the case. 1627–47 Feltham Resolves ii. xlvii. 380 A little shaking prefers the growth of the tree. |
II. † 3. trans. To put or set in front or before.
Obs.| 1541 R. Copland Guydon's Quest. Chirurg. R j b, Do nat as a folysshe iudge that forthwith gyueth his sentence, but fyrste or thou gyue it preferre God before thyne eyes, and consydre dylygently [etc.]. 1575 Fenton Gold. Epist. (1577) 107 He wrote speedily to Ioab..that at the time of the assault, Vrias might be preferred to the perill of his life. |
4. To put, place, or set (something) before any one for acceptance; to hold out, proffer, offer, present; to introduce or recommend.
Obs. or
arch.| 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) A iij, I have here preferred to your observance and protection, a work of great Art, and of greater Industry. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. (1632) 261 Bessardus Bisantinus preferres the smoake of Juniper to melancholy persons. 1648 Crashaw Delights of Muses Wks. (1904) 121 Preferre soft-Anthems to the Eares of men. 1677 Evelyn Mem. 13 Sept., I preferred Mr. Philips [nephew of Milton] to the service of my Lord Chamberlaine, who wanted a scholar to read to and entertain him sometimes. 1704 Pope Summer 53 Each am'rous nymph prefers her gifts in vain. 1725 ― Odyss. iii. 64 He spake, and to her hand preferr'd the bowl. 1867 C. B. Cayley in Fortn. Rev. Nov. 591 Seeking what words can avail me, What numbers even, to prefer clear light to thy aspect [præpandere lumina menti]. |
5. To lay (a matter) before any one formally for consideration, approval, or sanction; to bring forward, present, submit (a statement, bill, indictment, information, prayer, etc.). Also
† prefer up.
| 1559 Bp. Scot in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. App. vii. 12 The contents of all the bills preferred and read here. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 162 The Marques intrateth kyng Ferdinando, that he would immediatly preferre this matter to the Emperoure. 1601 Weever Mirr. Mart. D ij b, That I preferd up Bills in Parliament, Whereto the King and Lords gaue all consent. a 1674 Clarendon Surv. Leviath. (1676) 103 Suppose that an Information were preferr'd in the Kings Bench..against Mr. Hobbes. 1768 H. Walpole Hist. Doubts 120 The consequence of a suit preferred by him to the ecclesiastic Court. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake 18 But many a bard preferred his prayer; For many a Scottish bard was there. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. cii, These two have striven half the day, And each prefers his separate claim, Poor rivals in a losing game. 1884 Ld. Coleridge in Law Times Rep. L. 277/1 Preferring an indictment against her for stealing his goods. 1885 Ibid. LIII. 51/1 An information preferred against the appellant..by the..sanitary inspector. |
† 6. To refer; to attribute, ascribe.
Obs.| 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. Concl. 35 The building of a Towne we doe preferre Unto the Mason and the Carpenter. 1658 W. Burton Itin. Anton. 26 Jerome Surita..prefers this work to Antoninus the son of Severus. |
III. 7. a. To set or hold (one thing) before others in favour or esteem; to favour or esteem more; to choose or approve rather; to like better. With
simple obj.,
inf., or
clause;
above,
† before,
to. Now the chief sense.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 268 Kinde [i.e. Nature]..preferreth no degre As in the disposicioun Of bodili complexioun. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 210 Trewe juges and sergeauntis of the lawe,..Mercy preferre alwey tofor rigour. 1502 W. Atkynson tr. De Imitatione iii. lviii. 248 Afore all worldly thynges prefarre thou the honour & medytacion of god. 1538 Starkey England i. i. 6 Hyt ys not to be preferryd therto as a thyng to be chosen and folowyd. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 24, I preferre deidis of mercy abone all corporal and outwart sacrifice. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 24 He preferreth his owne decrees..before the Scriptures. 1661 Boyle Style of Script. (1675) 165 He should not scruple to prefer the end to the means. 1680 Morden Geog. Rect. (1685) 322 We may justly prefer it before the other parts of the World. 1778 Hist. Eliza Warwick I. 25 He would prefer seeing his daughters dead at his feet, than behold them wedded to the worthiest men without titles and riches. 1815 J. W. Croker in C. Papers (1884) 20 July, He preferred living like a Grecian, to dying like a Roman. 1882 Froude in Fortn. Rev. Dec. 734 Warlike races prefer to be under a chief. 1883 G. Moore Mod. Lover II. vi. 105 There was one place he preferred above all others. 1895 Lieut. Maguire in United Service Mag. 378 Because the Chinese preferred the doctrines of Confucius to ordinary military common sense. |
| absol. 1844 Browning Laboratory vii, Let her turn it and stir, And try it and taste, ere she fix and prefer! 1902 Edin. Rev. Apr. 512 He prefers rather than excludes. |
b. Law. To give preference to as a creditor.
Cf. preference 5.
| 1433 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 432/1 Yat in paiement..y preferre youre Houshold. Ibid. 439 Who shuld be preferred in payement. 1885 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 764/2 In English law the term ‘preferred’ than ‘privileged’ is generally applied to such debts. |
† 8. To be preferable to; to surpass, excel. [
= OF. préférer to prevail, have the pre-eminence, 15th c. in
Godef.]
Obs. rare.
| c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 96, I graunte it wel, I haue noon envie, Thogh maydenhede preferre [v.r. profere] Bigamye. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 43 Sen the varld vas creat, scheiphirdis prefferrit al vthir staitis. Ibid. 65–6 Nor orpheus..his playing prefferrit nocht thir foir said scheiphirdis; nor ȝit the scheiphyrd pan,..nor mercurius,..none of them culd preffer thir foirsaid scheiphirdis. |