preference
n. C / Un. a feeling that you like one thing more than another. You use this when you choose something because it is your favorite or more useful to you.
n. a greater liking for one alternative over another or others; the act of selecting one thing as more desirable. Often used to describe personal tastes or systematic priorities.
My preference is for tea rather than coffee.
The application form asks if you have a preference for a morning or afternoon interview slot.
While the committee expressed a strong preference for the original proposal, they remained open to modifications that would reduce the overall environmental impact of the construction.
From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia. Doublet of preferans. Morphologically prefer + -ence.
Often followed by the preposition 'for' when indicating the object of liking, or 'over' when comparing two options.
I have a preference than coffeeI have a preference for coffeeLearners often use 'than' because they are thinking of the word 'prefer', but the noun 'preference' requires the preposition 'for'.