Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - prefer

~ v preferred, preferring 1 to like someone or something more than someone or something else  ("What kind of music do you like?" "These days I prefer classical music" | prefer sb/sth to sb/sth)  (I much prefer dogs to cats. | prefer to do sth)  (Many people living in cities would actually prefer to live in the country. | prefer doing sth)  (Chantal prefers travelling by train.) 2 would prefer if you would prefer to do something, you want to do it more than another thing you could do instead, or that you are doing now  (would prefer to do sth)  (We would prefer to live in the US, but I can't get a visa.) 3 I would prefer it if spoken a) used to say that you wish a situation was different  (Of course, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to do so much work.) b) used when telling someone politely not to do something  (I'd prefer it if you didn't smoke in front of the children.) 4 prefer charges law to make an official statement that someone has done something illegal