preferential

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   giving or receiving an advantage, priority, or more favorable treatment than others

   The agreement gave local suppliers preferential access to government contracts.

2. 2
   adj

   relating to an electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference

   Under preferential voting, citizens numbered the candidates from first choice to last.

From Medieval Latin preferentia ("preference") + -al, or directly from preference + -ial. Preference derives from Latin praeferre ("to carry or set before, prefer"), from prae- ("before") + ferre ("to carry").

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