preferenzialmente

Preferenzialmente is a term that may appear in Italian texts as an adverb meaning “in a preferential way” or “with priority.” In standard Italian, however, the commonly accepted form is preferenzialmente. The spelling preferenzialmente is generally considered nonstandard, and it is more likely to be found as a regional variant, an historical form, or a typographical error rather than in contemporary formal writing.

The word derives from the adjective preferenziale (meaning “prioritized” or “advantageous”), which itself comes from the noun preferenza, from Latin praefere n tia. The adverb is formed with the usual Italian suffix -mente. The distinction between preferenziale and its adverbial forms is primarily stylistic, with preferenzialmente being the normative choice in modern usage.

Usage and context: preferenzialmente is used to indicate that a course of action or a policy grants priority or privilege to certain elements, such as groups, items, or options. In standard prose, one would typically employ preferenzialmente. Examples in correct form include: Le misure sono applicate preferenzialmente alle categorie vulnerabili, o Le candidature sono valutate preferenzialmente tra i dipendenti interni. When encountered as preferenzialmente, readers should consider it a nonstandard variant and prefer the normative preferenzialmente in formal writing.

See also: preferenziale, preferenza, praefere n tia (Latin origin), linguistic usage of adverbs with the suffix -mente.