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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Preference \Pref"er*ence\, noun [Cf. F. pr['e]f['e]rence.]
1. The act of Preferring, or the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing before another; precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his preference.
Leave the critics on either side to contend about the preference due to this or that sort of poetry. --Dryden.
Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our reasonings, and preference of one man's knowledge over another's. --Locke.
2. That which is preferred; the object of choice or superior favor; as, which is your preference?
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
preference
noun
1: a strong liking; "my own preference is for good literature"; "the Irish have a penchant for blarney" [syn: {penchant}, {predilection}, {taste}]
2: a predisposition in favor of something; "a predilection for expensive cars"; "his sexual preferences"; "showed a Marxist orientation" [syn: {predilection}, {orientation}]
3: the right or chance to choose; "given my druthers, I'd eat cake" [syn: {druthers}]
4: grant of favor or advantage to one over another (especially to a country or countries in matters of international trade, such as levying duties)
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
129 Moby Thesaurus words for "preference": affinity, alternative, alternativity, animus, antecedence, antecedency, anteposition, anteriority, aptitude, bag, bent, bias, cast, character, choice, choosing, chosen kind, co-optation, co-option, constitution, cosset, cup of tea, darling, decision, desire, diathesis, discrimination, disposition, dominion, druthers, eccentricity, election, elevation, fancy, fascination, favor, favorite, favoritism, first choice, fondling, free choice, free will, front position, grain, idiosyncrasy, idol, inclination, individualism, inequality, interest, involvement, jewel, kidney, leaning, liking, make, makeup, matinee idol, mental set, mettle, mind, mind-set, minion, mold, mutual affinity, mutual attraction, nature, nepotism, one-sidedness, option, parti pris, partiality, particular choice, partisanism, partisanship, penchant, personal choice, pet, pick, precedence, precedency, preceding, precession, precursor, predilection, predisposition, preferential treatment, preferment, prefixation, prejudice, prelude, preoption, prepossession, priority, proclivity, promotion, propensity, prothesis, selection, set, slant, spoiled child, stamp, strain, streak, stripe, style, superiority, sympathy, taste, temper, temperament, tendency, the lead, the pick, thing, top priority, turn, turn of mind, twist, type, undetachment, undispassionateness, unneutrality, upgrading, urgency, volition, warp, will
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
PREFERENCE, noun A sentiment, or frame of mind, induced by the erroneous belief that one thing is better than another. An ancient philosopher, expounding his conviction that life is no better than death, was asked by a disciple why, then, he did not die. "Because," he replied, "death is no better than life." It is longer.
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