favour

American  

[fey-ver] / ˈfeɪ vər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. favor.

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favour British  

/ ˈfeɪvə /

noun

1. an approving attitude; good will

2. an act performed out of good will, generosity, or mercy

3. prejudice and partiality; favouritism

4. a condition of being regarded with approval or good will (esp in the phrases in favour , out of favour )

5. archaic leave; permission

6. a token of love, goodwill, etc

7. a small gift or toy given to a guest at a party

8. history a badge or ribbon worn or given to indicate loyalty, often bestowed on a knight by a lady

9. obsolete a communication, esp a business letter

10. archaic appearance

11. to be approved of by someone

12. 1. approving

    2. to the benefit of

    3. (of a cheque, etc) made out to

    4. in order to show preference for

       I rejected him in favour of George

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verb

1. to regard with especial kindness or approval

2. to treat with partiality or favouritism

3. to support; advocate

4. to perform a favour for; oblige

5. to help; facilitate

6. informal to resemble

   he favours his father

7. to wear habitually

   she favours red

8. to treat gingerly or with tenderness; spare

   a footballer favouring an injured leg

Spelling

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• favourer noun
• favouringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of favour

C14: from Latin, from favēre to protect

Example Sentences

Tuchel now has options in the central area behind the striker, the role Foden favours, as well as on the left flank, where he has been used in the past.

From BBC

A government source said international courts had already considered the question of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and found in favour of Mauritius.

From BBC

MPs voted in favour of the bill last June but it has struggled to progress in the House of Lords where timetables for debates are less strict and every amendment can be debated.

From BBC

The Revolutionary Guards and Iranian central bank favour "stablecoins" -- digital currencies generally pegged to the dollar in a bid to avoid volatility.

From Barron's

A chief US demand is revision of the WTO's fundamental "most favoured nation" principle, which aims to extend any trade advantage granted to one country to all trade partners.

From Barron's