prediligere

to prefer; to favour

verb preh-dee-LEE-jeh-reh Rare

Origin: Latin prae- (before) + diligere (to esteem, to love).

Usage Note

Prediligere is a formal, literary synonym of preferire, conveying a deep or habitual preference rather than a momentary choice. It is an irregular verb: present prediligo, prediligi, predilige, prediligiamo, prediligete, prediligono; past participle prediletto. Il figlio prediletto means the favourite/beloved child. The auxiliary in compound tenses is avere.

Examples

"Prediligo la musica classica al jazz."

Natural Translation

I prefer classical music to jazz.

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