præferable

præferable (comparative more præferable, superlative most præferable)

1. Archaic spelling of preferable.
   • 1659, The Third Part or Walk of the Forest:

     […]; the via antiqua is probably the ſureſt, our building is Monarchical, conſtantly framed accordingly, nothing is perfect in this World, what hath leaſt imperfection is præferable, offended with that, like Sick-men we have toſt and turn’d, yet find no eaſe, what ſhall we do?

   • 1684, Historical Notices of Scotish Affairs, Selected from the Manuscripts of John Lauder of Fountainhall, Bart., One of the Senators of the College of Justice, volumes second (1683–1688), Edinburgh, published 1848, page 533:

     Againſt this ther ware many objections made by the creditors, viz., that quoad the 9000 lƀ. a year contained in his contract of marriage, they ware præferable, being præferable and prior creditors, and ſo he was ſucceſſor titulo lucrativo poſt contractum debitum; and as to the 6000 lƀ. per annum added, 1^o. before that letter they had a jus quæſitum by the ſignitor; 2^do. They had rights præferable.

   • 1759, George Benson, The Reasonablenesse of the Christian Religion, as Delivered in the Scriptures, the third edition, volume the second, London: J. Waugh, ; and W. Fenner, , page 217:

     Chriſtianity præferable to Deiſm, as ſtated by a deiſt.

   • 1775, William Scott, The New Testament Illustrated, on a Plan Never Attempted Before, London: George Allen, pages 392 and 573:

     This is in the indicative mood (and not the imperative) i. e. “ye do conteſt and ſtrive whoſe particular gift is beſt and moſt præferable;” […] Alluding to the Jewiſh church, that upon opening the gates of the temple, the ſeſſion of religion is præferable to an hypocritical one;