Preferment definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PREFER'MENT, n. Advancement to a higher office, dignity or station. Change of manners and even of character often follows preferment. A profligate life should be considered a disqualification for preferment, no less than want of ability.
1. Superior place or office. All preferments should be given to competent men.
2. Preference. [Not used.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the act of preferring; "the preferment went to the younger candidate"
2: the act of making accusations; "preferment of charges"

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 15th century 1. a. advancement or promotion in dignity, office, or station b. a position or office of honor or profit 2. priority or seniority in right especially to receive payment or to purchase property on equal terms with others 3. the act of bringing forward (as charges)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. promotion to office.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Preferment Pre*fer"ment, n. 1. The act of choosing, or the state of being chosen; preference. [R.] Natural preferment of the one . . . before the other. --Sir T. Browne. 2. The act of preferring, or advancing in dignity or office; the state of being advanced; promotion. Neither royal blandishments nor promises of valuable preferment had been spared. --Macaulay. 3. A position or office of honor or profit; as, the preferments of the church.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(preferments) Preferment is the act of being given a better and more important job in an organization. (FORMAL) He was told by the governors that he could expect no further preferment. N-VAR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Promotion, advancement, exaltation, elevation, dignity, benefice.

Moby Thesaurus

Great Leap Forward, advance, advancement, aggrandizement, amelioration, amendment, apostolic orders, appointment, ascent, bettering, betterment, boost, calling, canonization, conferment, consecration, election, elevation, enhancement, ennoblement, enrichment, eugenics, euthenics, exaltation, furtherance, graduation, headway, holy orders, improvement, induction, installation, institution, investiture, knighting, lift, major orders, melioration, mend, mending, minor orders, nomination, ordainment, orders, ordination, passing, pay raise, pickup, preference, presentation, progress, progression, promotion, raise, reading in, recovery, restoration, revival, rise, upbeat, upgrading, uplift, upping, upswing, uptrend, upward mobility