are preferred to

USAGE SUMMARY

'are preferred to' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that one thing is chosen more often than another. For example: "Organic foods are preferred to processed foods for their health benefits."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Gifted Program Gift-giving children are preferred to gifted children.

The New Yorker

Stories are preferred to reality because they make life seem safe, orderly, just and inspiring.

The Guardian - Film

But open-plan offices are preferred to cubicles.Why, then, are cubicle farms still being built?

The Economist

Sombre, often hard blues, greens, and violets are preferred to the lighter ones.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Postpositions are preferred to prepositions in Modern Armenian, unlike in Old Armenian.

Encyclopedia Britannica

There are a few roots drinks for women, but sorrel, ginger beer and carrot juice are preferred to a tonic.

The New York Times

The tense is largely passive, long words are preferred to short ones and convoluted locutions are de rigueur.

The Guardian - Books

In general, spending cuts are preferred to tax increases in the abstract — but not once you start to get specific.

The New York Times

Memorials are preferred to Doctors Without Borders, Southern Poverty Law Center, the Squam Lakes Conservation Society, or the donor's choice.

The New York Times

One reason that algorithms are preferred to humans is simply our own perception of the two.

TechCrunch

Convolution operators, for example, are preferred to Nemytskii operators in the quasilinear hyperbolic equations.

Bulletin of Mathematical Sciences

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "are preferred to", ensure you clearly state both options being compared to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "are preferred to" without specifying what is being preferred and what it is preferred over. For instance, instead of saying "This method is preferred", specify "This method is preferred to that method" to provide clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are preferred to" functions as a comparative expression, indicating a preference or prioritization of one option over another. Ludwig AI confirms that it is a correct and usable expression in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

35%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "are preferred to" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to express preference or prioritization. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. As shown by Ludwig's extensive examples, it is frequently used in scientific and news contexts, but also appears in encyclopedias and more informal writings. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying both options being compared. While alternatives such as "are favored over" or "are chosen over" exist, "are preferred to" offers a balanced and widely accepted way to convey preference.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

are favored over

Replaces "preferred" with "favored", suggesting a slightly stronger inclination.

are chosen over

Focuses on the act of choosing, emphasizing the decision-making aspect.

are selected rather than

Highlights the selection process and explicitly contrasts it with another option.

are given priority over

Emphasizes the prioritization of one option over another.

are considered better than

Indicates a judgment of superiority regarding the preferred option.

are deemed superior to

Similar to "considered better", but uses a more formal tone.

are inclined toward

Suggests a leaning or tendency to choose one option, without explicitly excluding the other.

are more inclined to

Implies a greater likelihood of choosing one option over another.

tend to favor

Indicates a general preference or tendency.

lean towards

Similar to "tend to favor", suggesting a less decisive preference.

FAQs

How to use "are preferred to" in a sentence?

Use "are preferred to" to indicate a preference for one thing over another. For example, "Apples are preferred to oranges in this recipe".

What can I say instead of "are preferred to"?

You can use alternatives like "are favored over", "are chosen over", or "are selected rather than" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "are preferred to" or "are prefer than"?

"Are preferred to" is correct. "Are prefer than" is grammatically incorrect; the correct comparative form requires "preferred" and the preposition "to".

What's the difference between "are preferred to" and "are preferable to"?

While both express preference, "are preferred to" describes an actual choice or inclination, while "are preferable to" indicates which option is generally more suitable or advantageous.