favorite

American

[fey-ver-it, feyv-rit] / ˈfeɪ vər ɪt, ˈfeɪv rɪt /

especially British, favourite

noun

a person or thing regarded with special favor or preference.

That song is an old favorite of mine.
Sports. a competitor considered likely to win.
a person or thing popular with the public.
a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, official, etc..

favorites at the court.
Digital Technology. bookmark.

adjective

regarded with particular favor or preference.

a favorite child.

Usage

Spelling tips for favorite The word favorite is hard to spell for two reasons. First, in British English it is spelled with a u (favourite), unlike the American English spelling favorite. Second, the final e is silent. How to spell favorite: When you do someone a favor, you don't do it for yourself. So, there is no u in favor. Now that we have the beginning of the word down, how do we remember the e in -ite? Well, it wouldn't be anything without an Ending (an e at the end). Put the two together and you get favorite.

Other Word Forms

nonfavorite noun
prefavorite noun
unfavorite adjective

Etymology

Origin of favorite

First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle French, from Italian favorito, “favored,” past participle of favorire “to favor, support,” from favore “favor, goodwill”; favor, -ite ²

Explanation

Your favorite is what you like best. Your room is probably painted your favorite color, and the folders you carry to school are probably that color too. In a competition, the favorite is the one considered likely to win. If you bet on the favorite in a horse race, you're betting on the horse lots of other people think will win. The opposite of the favorite is the dark horse, or the underdog, or the long shot. You may have a favorite recipe, a favorite Web site, a favorite pastime, a favorite anything.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing favorite

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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.

Known as “the Crab” because he was born with a sixth finger on one hand, Rodríguez Castro is Raúl Castro’s oldest and, by all accounts, favorite grandson.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

And by far their favorite investment right now is in emerging-market stocks, historically a very volatile and high-risk class.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Cumbia music -- Maradona's favorite genre -- blares from speakers.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

She debuted an absolutely dreamy rock ballad with guest guitarist Greg Gonzalez of the band Cigarettes After Sex, a longtime favorite of Karol’s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

She turned and led us into her office, where I plopped down on my favorite leather chair.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023