Overpreference

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An undue or excessive liking or bias toward a particular option, choice, or thing
2. A tendency to favor one thing more than is reasonable or justified
3. An irrational or overly strong preference for something compared to alternatives

Etymology: "Overpreference" is a plain English compound: the prefix "over-", meaning "excessively" or "too much," attached to "preference," from Latin "praeferre," "to carry before" or "to prefer." The Latin verb combined "prae" ("before") and "ferre" ("to bear"), so its original sense was of placing one thing in front of another, and the idea of choosing one thing above another came later through that sense of putting one ahead. The noun "preference" entered English in the late 1400s, while "over-" has been productive as a prefix since Old English, so the compound is a transparent, self-explanatory formation rather than a term with a dramatic history. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: "over-" intensifies the sense of "preference" into an excess.

Synonyms: overfavoritism, excessive preference, bias, partiality, overprioritization

Antonyms: underpreference, disfavor, impartiality, fairness, neutrality