"preferment" meaning in English

See preferment in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /pɹɪˈfəːmənt/ [UK] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-preferment.wav [Southern-England] Forms: preferments [plural], perferment [alternative]
Etymology: From Middle English preferment, preferrement, prefferment; equivalent to prefer + -ment. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|preferment}} Middle English preferment, {{suffix|en|prefer|ment}} prefer + -ment Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} preferment (countable and uncountable, plural preferments)
  1. (now historical) Prior claim (on payment, or on purchasing something); the first rights to obtain a particular payment or product. Tags: countable, historical, uncountable
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-WpmB5Nql Categories (other): English entries with etymon, English terms suffixed with -ment, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with etymology trees Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 12 33 7 11 10 28 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ment: 25 23 18 15 18 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 12 20 5 26 6 31 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 10 31 5 21 5 27
  2. (obsolete) The fact of being pushed or advanced to a more favourable situation; furtherance, promotion (of a candidate, action, undertaking etc.). Tags: countable, obsolete, uncountable
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-kx7OJg-K Categories (other): English entries referencing missing etymons, English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with etymon, English terms suffixed with -ment, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries referencing missing etymons: 12 34 7 11 9 27 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 12 34 7 13 9 25 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 12 35 7 13 9 25 Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 12 33 7 11 10 28 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ment: 25 23 18 15 18 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 12 20 5 26 6 31 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 10 31 5 21 5 27 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 9 32 4 20 5 30
  3. Advancement to a higher position or office; promotion. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-JekMbUbl Categories (other): English terms suffixed with -ment Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ment: 25 23 18 15 18
  4. A position (especially in the Church of England) that provides profit or prestige. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-d4RY9rxB Categories (other): English entries with etymon, English terms suffixed with -ment, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 12 33 7 11 10 28 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ment: 25 23 18 15 18 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 12 20 5 26 6 31 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 10 31 5 21 5 27 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 9 32 4 20 5 30
  5. (now rare) The fact of preferring something; preference. Tags: archaic, countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-7Di0mQ1V Categories (other): English terms suffixed with -ment Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ment: 25 23 18 15 18
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: preferment-hunting
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /ˌpɹiːfəɹˈmɛnt/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav [Southern-England] Forms: preferments [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English ferment English preferment From pre- + ferment. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|pre-|ferment|id=pre-ferment|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English ferment English preferment [Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "before", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "alt" : "*préh₂i", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "status" : "inline", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "before", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*per-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*preh₂-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" }, { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-i", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "is_uncertain" : true, "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*prai", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*prai-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "prae-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "lbor" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "pre-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "pre-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "ferment", "status" : "missing", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "preferment", "lang" : "en" }" data-id="pre-ferment" data-lang="en" data-title="preferment" id="English:_pre-ferment"> From pre- + ferment. Head templates: {{en-noun}} preferment (plural preferments)
  1. A mixture of flour, water and yeast that is allowed to ferment prior to another baking process. Related terms: prefermentation
    Sense id: en-preferment-en-noun-szRcWTaa Categories (other): English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, English heteronyms, English terms prefixed with pre-, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 12 33 7 11 10 28 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 26 6 16 6 38 Disambiguation of English heteronyms: 13 19 7 13 11 36 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with pre-: 18 17 13 13 13 27 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 12 20 5 26 6 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 8 24 4 17 4 43 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 22 3 21 4 43 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 10 31 5 21 5 27 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 9 32 4 20 5 30
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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          "text": "But consider—you need not be afraid of delegating power to me. I am no young lady on her preferment. Married women, you know, may be safely authorised.",
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          "ref": "1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:",
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          "text": "One hall called Civil Law Hall or School, flouriſhed about this time (though in its buildings decayed) by the care of the learned and judicious Dr. Will. Warham Principal or Moderator thereof; which he leaving this year (having before had ſeveral Deputies therein) becauſe of his preferment to the ſee of London, became void for ſome time. The year following the ſaid Warham was tranſlated to Canterbury […]",
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      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "preferment"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries referencing missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with etymon",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English heteronyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (before)",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *preh₂-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms prefixed with pre-",
    "English terms suffixed with -ment",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Pages with etymon"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "preferment-hunting"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": "1",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "preferment"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English preferment",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prefer",
        "3": "ment"
      },
      "expansion": "prefer + -ment",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English preferment, preferrement, prefferment; equivalent to prefer + -ment.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "preferments",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "perferment",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "preferment (countable and uncountable, plural preferments)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 15th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Prior claim (on payment, or on purchasing something); the first rights to obtain a particular payment or product."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "claim",
          "claim"
        ],
        [
          "right",
          "right"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(now historical) Prior claim (on payment, or on purchasing something); the first rights to obtain a particular payment or product."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "historical",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "15th–17th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              89,
              99
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1815, Jane Austen, Emma, volume III, chapter 6:",
          "text": "But consider—you need not be afraid of delegating power to me. I am no young lady on her preferment. Married women, you know, may be safely authorised.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              51,
              61
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "A mind warranted from prejudice, hath a marvellous preferment [translating avancement] to tranquility.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The fact of being pushed or advanced to a more favourable situation; furtherance, promotion (of a candidate, action, undertaking etc.)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "push",
          "push"
        ],
        [
          "advance",
          "advance"
        ],
        [
          "furtherance",
          "furtherance"
        ],
        [
          "promotion",
          "promotion"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete) The fact of being pushed or advanced to a more favourable situation; furtherance, promotion (of a candidate, action, undertaking etc.)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "obsolete",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 15th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Advancement to a higher position or office; promotion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Advancement",
          "advancement"
        ],
        [
          "position",
          "position"
        ],
        [
          "office",
          "office"
        ],
        [
          "promotion",
          "promotion"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 16th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              280,
              290
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1792, Anthony à Wood, The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford: In Two Books, volume 1, Oxford: John Gutch, →OCLC, page 661:",
          "text": "One hall called Civil Law Hall or School, flouriſhed about this time (though in its buildings decayed) by the care of the learned and judicious Dr. Will. Warham Principal or Moderator thereof; which he leaving this year (having before had ſeveral Deputies therein) becauſe of his preferment to the ſee of London, became void for ſome time. The year following the ſaid Warham was tranſlated to Canterbury […]",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A position (especially in the Church of England) that provides profit or prestige."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Church of England",
          "Church of England"
        ],
        [
          "profit",
          "profit"
        ],
        [
          "prestige",
          "prestige"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "from 16th c.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with rare senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The fact of preferring something; preference."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "prefer",
          "prefer"
        ],
        [
          "preference",
          "preference"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(now rare) The fact of preferring something; preference."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/pɹɪˈfəːmənt/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-preferment.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "preferment"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries referencing missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with etymon",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English heteronyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (before)",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *preh₂-",
    "English terms prefixed with pre-",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Pages with etymon"
  ],
  "etymology_number": "2",
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "pre-",
        "4": "ferment",
        "id": "pre-ferment",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish ferment\nEnglish preferment\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*préh₂i\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*preh₂-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-i\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"prae-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"ferment\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"preferment\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"pre-ferment\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"preferment\" id=\"English:_pre-ferment\">\nFrom pre- + ferment.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish ferment\nEnglish preferment\nFrom pre- + ferment.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "preferments",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "preferment (plural preferments)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "prefermentation"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A mixture of flour, water and yeast that is allowed to ferment prior to another baking process."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "flour",
          "flour"
        ],
        [
          "water",
          "water"
        ],
        [
          "yeast",
          "yeast"
        ],
        [
          "ferment",
          "ferment"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˌpɹiːfəɹˈmɛnt/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/b3/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-preferment2.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "preferment"
}

Download raw JSONL data for preferment meaning in English (9.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.