What does "prefer" mean?

Additional senses

1. 2.To cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote; as, to prefer an officer to the rank of general. I would prefer him to a better place. Shak.
2. 3.To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by to, before, or above. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Ps. cxxxvii.
3. 4.Preferred an infamous peace before a most just war. Knolles. Preferred stock, stock which takes a dividend before other capital stock; -- called also preference stock and preferential stock. See Choose.