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favourite

British  
/ ˈfeɪvrɪt, ˈfeɪvərɪt /

adjective

  1. (prenominal) most liked; preferred above all others

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

    1. a person or thing regarded with especial preference or liking

    2. ( as modifier )

      a favourite book

  1. sport a competitor thought likely to win

  2. (pl) computing a place on certain browsers that allows internet users to list the addresses of websites they find and like with a click of the mouse so that they can revisit them merely by opening the list and clicking on the address

  3. to display favouritism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of favourite

C16: from Italian favorito , from favorire to favour, from Latin favēre

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.

"On form you would make Xintong favourite to retain his title," added Murphy.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Dubai is a favourite destination of Hungarian oligarchs.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Clayton showed his resilience throughout the evening as he beat home favourite Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals and then battled past Josh Rock in the last four.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Benin presidential election favourite Romuald Wadagni headed for victory Monday as his opponent conceded defeat even as votes were still being counted.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

As it was, an opportunity did come along for her, about a month after the Midge episode, the time I lost my favourite tape.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro