preferential
Showing special favor
Preferential means giving or showing preference—treating someone or something more favorably than others.
Preferential treatment grants advantages not available to everyone.
Preferential voting systems let voters rank candidates by preference.
Preferential rates offer better terms to selected customers.
The word often implies unfairness: She got the job through preferential treatment, not merit.
Preferential treatment of some
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- partialityUnfair favor toward some
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
- cronyismFavoring friends in appointments
patronage · unfairness · inequity · double-standard · insider · fast-track · backroom · connections
Notable, for short
- priorityStatus of greater importance
- exclusiveLimited to one group
- members-onlyRestricted to enrolled participants
- first-classOf the highest standard
elite · privilege · reserved · premium · bypass · club · concierge · backstage
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- exclusionBeing barred from participation
- unfairnessUnjust or biased treatment
segregation · redlining · profiling · systemic · institutionalized · discriminatory · two-tiered · unequal
Ballot listing candidates by preference
- ballotVoting document
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- transferableAble to be passed along
- electoralConcerning choosing representatives
candidate · ranking · allocation · threshold · quota · surplus · redistribution · ordinal
favoritism
Preferential treatment of some
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- partialityUnfair favor toward some
- nepotismPreferring kin in hiring
cronyism · patronage · unfairness · inequity · double-standard · insider · fast-track · backroom · connections · pull
VIP
Notable, for short
- priorityStatus of greater importance
- exclusiveLimited to one group
- members-onlyRestricted to enrolled participants
first-class · elite · privilege · reserved · premium · bypass · club · concierge · backstage · red-carpet
bias
Unfair inclination or prejudice
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- exclusionBeing barred from participation
unfairness · segregation · redlining · profiling · systemic · institutionalized · discriminatory · two-tiered · unequal · marginalization
ranked-choice
Ballot listing candidates by preference
- ballotVoting document
- eliminationAct of removing entirely
- transferableAble to be passed along
electoral · candidate · ranking · allocation · threshold · quota · surplus · redistribution · ordinal
trade
Exchange of commodities
export · bilateral · treaty · quota · agreement · exemption · most-favored-nation · commerce · GSP
- favoritismfavoritism, nepotism, cronyism, partiality, playing favorites
- intolerantbigoted, biased, prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant
preferentialequal
Identical in amount
nonpreferential · impartial · nondiscriminatory · equitable · fair
preferentialdisadvantageous
Causing harm or hindrance
unfavorable · discriminatory · prejudicial · detrimental · punitive
- preferential treatmentAdvantages given selectively
- preferential hiringEmployment bias toward groups
- preferential votingElectoral system ranking candidates