Preferibile

Preferibile is an Italian adjective meaning “preferable” or “more desirable.” It is formed from the verb preferire (to prefer) with the suffix -ibile, similar to other -ibile adjectives such as possibile or credibile. It is used to indicate that one option is more suitable or advantageous than another.

The standard construction is è preferibile followed by an infinitive or a clause: È preferibile studiare prima di affrontare l’esame; In questa situazione è preferibile utilizzare un metodo più conservativo. The word is invariable for gender in the singular (un metodo preferibile, una soluzione preferibile); the plural is preferibili (due metodi preferibili, due soluzioni preferibili).

The adverb form is preferibilmente, meaning “preferably.” Etymology traces preferibile to Latin praeferibilis, from praeferre “to bear before” or “to prefer.”

In usage, preferibile is common in formal, instructional, or normative contexts to indicate recommended actions rather than obligations. It conveys a sense of relative superiority among options, with nuances similar to English “preferable” or “advisable,” though consigliabile (advisable) and opportuno (opportune) offer close but slightly different shades of meaning.

Some style guides discourage the redundant construction più preferibile, deeming it pleonastic; the preferred form is simply preferibile. Cognates exist in other Romance languages (Spanish preferible, French préférable).