favorable
Americanadjective
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characterized by approval or support; positive.
a favorable report.
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creating or winning favor; pleasing.
to make a favorable impression.
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affording advantage, opportunity, or convenience; advantageous.
a favorable position.
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(of an answer) granting what is desired.
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boding well; propitious.
The signs are favorable for a new start.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of favorable
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Middle French, from Latin favōrābilis; equivalent to favor + -able
Explanation
The word favorable describes something positive or promising, such as a two-thumbs-up movie review or the perfect conditions for golf. When things are going well, or in your favor, they’re favorable. Favorable is an adjective that describes approval or good conditions for something. If you wrote a book, you’d want the reviews to be favorable. If the weather is favorable, it's sunny out and perfect for a picnic. If you wanted to go swimming, thunderstorms would be unfavorable: they would ruin your plans. Favorable situations make us smile.
Vocabulary lists containing favorable
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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Content Summary G.3: Spatial Reorganization
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Charlotte's Web
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“These results were the product of a particularly favorable environment with an elevated level of market activity, as well as rigorous execution, years of consistent investment and thoughtful capital deployment,” Dimon said in a statement.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“The extension is limited relief until the lower courts align with the U.S. Supreme Court’s favorable decision in Mullin v. Doe,” the notice read.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
“They’re seeded, so they’re in a favorable bracket. They have everything going for them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
“The lifting of the U.S. blockade makes the deal more favorable to Iran,” said Saeid Golkar, an Iran expert who teaches at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
If I stopped it, they would surely fight again, perhaps at some other place less favorable to him.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
