in preference to that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in preference to that" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when expressing a choice or favoring one option over another. Example: "I would choose to work from home in preference to that long commute every day."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

But Congress may introduce the practice of the civil law, in preference to that of the common law.

University of Chicago

This directly verified that mitochondria take up Ca2+ entering through CaV2 channels in preference to that emanating from CaV1 channels.

Bioscience Reports

For tumour size, the size from the pathology review was used in preference to that in the original pathology report, to maximise consistency.

British Journal of Cancer

The codon pair table generated by SSE from our dataset of human mRNA sequences was used in preference to that previously described (Table S2 in reference Coleman et al., 2008) because of the larger number of human mRNA sequences now available.

eLife

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In this setting, the diagnosis of dying should be seriously considered in hierarchical preference to that of septic shock due to the presence of chronic, cognitive decline and probable outcome trajectory.

Critical Care

In fact, Americans sought consumer goods of unpretentious and functional design in preference to products that tried to emulate the more differentiated, elaborate and custom-finished look of the old European luxury crafts.

The Economist

And where a licensed product is available, this should be used in preference to those that are not.

Critical Care

This work has investigated under what conditions confidence intervals around the differences in mean costs from a cluster RCT are suitable for estimation using a commonly used cluster-adjusted bootstrap in preference to methods that utilise the Huber-White robust estimator of variance.

BMC Health Services Research

QALY is calculated by the duration spent in a health state (in years) weighted by the preference to that state (utility).

Core Evidence

19 We used narrative-based interviewing, 20 a method that encourages participants to tell their story as they choose, in preference to interviews that utilise structured topic guides.

BMJ Open

The election-sensitive nature of this thaw was borne out by the revelation, in January 2011, that the White House had been dealing with Ehud Barak in preference to Netanyahu; that it had been charmed by his competence, seduced by his promises, and was now "furious" at his non-performance in the peace process.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "in preference to that" to clearly indicate a chosen alternative when comparing options, especially in formal or academic writing. It adds a layer of explicitness to your preference.

Common error

Avoid using "in preference to that" in very informal contexts where simpler alternatives like "instead of that" or "rather than that" would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in preference to that" functions as a prepositional phrase, indicating a choice or selection of one option over another. Ludwig AI confirms that this phrase is grammatically sound and appropriate for expressing preference. It serves to explicitly state the preferred alternative.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

37%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "in preference to that" is a grammatically correct and usable prepositional phrase that clearly indicates a favored alternative. While confirmed as a valid expression by Ludwig AI, it's important to note its relatively uncommon usage. The phrase tends to appear more frequently in science, news, and formal business contexts. For simpler, more informal situations, alternatives such as "rather than that" or "instead of that" might be more appropriate. Use it to clearly articulate your choice, especially when comparing options in a formal setting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rather than that

This alternative is a more direct and commonly used substitute, simplifying the original phrase.

instead of that

This option provides a straightforward replacement, focusing on the act of substitution.

preferentially to that

This rephrasing retains the formal tone while altering the structure slightly.

in lieu of that

This phrase offers a slightly more formal tone, emphasizing the replacement aspect.

as opposed to that

This emphasizes a contrast between two options, highlighting their differences.

in contrast to that

This alternative stresses the difference between the options being considered.

over that

This alternative is shorter and more informal, directly stating a preference.

above that

Similar to "over that", it indicates a higher priority or desirability.

more than that

This shows a greater degree or extent in comparison to something else.

better than that

A more direct and evaluative alternative, indicating a superior choice.

FAQs

What does "in preference to that" mean?

The phrase "in preference to that" means choosing one thing or option over another, indicating a favored alternative. It's similar to saying "instead of that" or "rather than that".

When should I use "in preference to that"?

Use "in preference to that" when you want to clearly express a choice between two options, particularly in formal writing where precision is valued. Simpler alternatives may be suitable for informal contexts.

What are some alternatives to "in preference to that"?

You can use alternatives like "rather than that", "instead of that", or "as opposed to that" depending on the context and desired level of formality.

Is "in preference to that" grammatically correct?

Yes, "in preference to that" is grammatically correct and usable in written English. Ludwig AI confirms it's a valid phrase for expressing a choice.