favor
Americannoun
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something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act.
to ask a favor.
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friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill.
to win the favor of the king.
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the state of being approved or held in regard.
to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.
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excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment.
to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.
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a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.
- Synonyms:
- present
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a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.
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a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.
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Usually favors. sexual intimacy, especially as permitted by a woman.
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Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.
verb (used with object)
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to regard with favor.
to favor an enterprise.
- Synonyms:
- sanction, countenance, approve
- Antonyms:
- disapprove
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to prefer; treat with partiality.
The father favored his younger son.
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to show favor to; oblige.
The king favored him with an audience.
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to be favorable to; facilitate.
The wind favored their journey.
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to deal with, treat, or use gently.
to favor a lame leg.
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to aid or support.
He favored his party's cause with ample funds.
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to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble.
to favor one's father's side of the family.
idioms
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in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage.
All the comments were in your favor.
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in favor of,
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on the side of; in support of.
to be in favor of reduced taxation.
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to the advantage of.
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(of a check, draft, etc.) payable to.
Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.
-
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find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by.
The play found favor with the opening-night audience.
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out of favor, no longer liked or approved; no longer popular or fashionable.
He's out of favor with the president and may soon be fired.
Related Words
Favor, goodwill imply a kindly regard or friendly disposition shown by an individual or group. Favor may be merely an attitude of mind: to look with favor on a proposal. Goodwill is more active and leads often to outward manifestations of friendly approval: By frequent applause the audience showed its goodwill toward the speaker.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of favor
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English favo(u)r, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin favōr- (stem of favor ) “goodwill,” derivative of favēre “to be favorably inclined” + -ōr- -or 1
Explanation
A favor is an act of kindness, like doing your friend a favor by letting her borrow your calculator to take the big math test. Favor can be used as a noun: an advantage, like having experience in your favor when you apply for a job; a nice gesture, like giving your friend a ride to school; or a party favor, a little gift you get at a party. As a verb, favor means "like the most," like foods you favor, or "treat gently," like favoring your right leg when walking because it hurts to put weight on it.
Vocabulary lists containing favor
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 4
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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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.
The post-war zeitgeist also began putting them further and further out of favor as a preferred educational choice of some American parents for their sons.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
How on earth could AI fans who frequently claim AIs are so powerful as to potentially endanger humanity also believe the business model would continue to favor their general release?
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
The practice worked in Uncle Sam’s favor, as the Fed lowered its short-term interest rate target by 1.75 percentage points in 2024 and 2025, but it may backfire if the central bank starts hiking.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Taylor has tended to favor a lower key interest rate than his colleagues on the MPC.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The NSA’s new director was in favor of the new policy, taking the hard line that “All official cryptanalysis is a type of activity that should be protected no matter how old it has become.”
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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.
