preferential

pref·er·en·tial (pref′ər en′s̸həl)

adjective

of, having, giving, or receiving preference
offering or allowing a preference a preferential ballot
☆ designating a union shop which gives preference, as by contract, to union members in hiring, layoffs, etc.
receiving preferences, as in tariffs

Etymology: ML praeferentia (see preference) + -al

pref′·er·en′·tial·ism′ noun pref′·er·en′·tially adverb

modif.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

force: Sensitivity to stimuli of first and second order motion was measured, using a two alternative forced choice preferential looking procedure.

Modifies a noun

creditor: There is no provision in an administration order for preferential creditors.
treatment: However EMI shares receive preferential treatment for capital gains tax purposes.
rate: They tend to offer packages with preferential rates on loans over several years.
tariff: These preferential tariffs had been invented by the dominions, who reaped greater benefits from them than did Britain.
voting: Future Changes In the future, the system might be improved by using preferential voting in the constituency sections.
attachment: In the last case there is no preferential attachment.

Modifying Another Word

not: Any unpaid balance of a preferential debt in the joint estate is not preferential in the separate estates.
highly: Finance In addition, Charles Wells offers a range of flexible and highly preferential financial packages to assist in establishing Charles Wells pubs overseas.
very: We have access to very preferential terns for the insurance of let properties.
neither: The rights of the Ordinary Shareholder to dividends are neither preferential nor cumulative.
there: The heterogeneous soil environment: Are there preferential pathways for fungal spread?
only: Only preferential voting, as offered by STV, would have overcome this difficulty.

Used with adjective complement

provide: Services scheme has fund providing preferential the contract a company.

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