[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/preferable.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / preferable

[← P](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/P/)

# preferable

«preferable» in Mova's school dictionary: **better or more suitable, so you would rather have or…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective (preferable)

### meaning for a pupil

Preferable means better or more suitable, so you would rather have or choose it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life and formal talk, «X is preferable to Y» means X is the better choice. In school, «it is preferable to show your working» means you should do it. In safety, «walking is preferable to running near the pool». Common phrases: «preferable to», «far preferable», «it is preferable to», «infinitely preferable».

### examples

- A small, friendly school is preferable to a big one for my little brother. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x1)
- Sleeping in a tent is preferable to sleeping outside in the rain. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x2)
- It is preferable to use a pencil for maths. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x3)
- Water is preferable to fizzy drinks when you're thirsty. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x4)
- Short sentences are often preferable in instructions. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x5)
- Any answer is preferable to a blank space in a test. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x6)
- A Carpenter, with equal enthusiasm, proposed timber as a preferable method of defense. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/#x7)

### note

Use «preferable to», not «preferable than». Do not say «more preferable», because «preferable» already means «better». Adverb: «preferably». Say PREF-er-uh-bul (stress on the first syllable).

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «preferable» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/preferable/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.