préférée

Préférée is the feminine singular form of the French adjective meaning "favorite" or "preferred." It also appears as the feminine past participle of the verb préférer. The masculine forms are préféré (adjective or past participle) and préférés / préférées for the plural. As an adjective, préférée agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, typically following the noun in French order (ma couleur préférée, sa chanson préférée) but can appear in predicate position as well (C’est ma préférée).

Etymology and usage notes: préfèr refers to the act of preferring, and the adjective evolves from Latin praeferre, meaning to carry in front. In modern French, préférer and its participles are used widely to indicate a person’s choice or a thing that stands out as the most favored among alternatives. Quando used as a past participle with auxiliary avoir, the participle agrees with a preceding direct object. For example, Les chansons que j’ai préférées means “the songs I preferred,” with préférées agreeing with chansons (feminine plural).

Common expressions include ma musique préférée (my favorite music), son livre préféré (his/her favorite book, masculine), and sa robe préférée (her favorite dress, feminine). The word also appears in titles and everyday speech to identify favorites among categories such as films, foods, or activities.

See also: préférer, préférence, préféré, préférée as gendered forms.