favorable

American

[fey-ver-uh-buhl, feyv-ruh-] / ˈfeɪ vər ə bəl, ˈfeɪv rə- /

adjective

characterized by approval or support; positive.

a favorable report.
creating or winning favor; pleasing.

to make a favorable impression.
affording advantage, opportunity, or convenience; advantageous.

a favorable position.
(of an answer) granting what is desired.
boding well; propitious.

The signs are favorable for a new start.

Other Word Forms

favorableness noun
favorably adverb
nonfavorable adjective
nonfavorableness noun
nonfavorably adverb
overfavorable adjective
overfavorableness noun
overfavorably adverb
prefavorable adjective
prefavorably adverb
quasi-favorable adjective
quasi-favorably adverb

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.

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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.

A 2025 Pew Research Center poll found that 48% of Americans have a favorable view of the court, down from 70% five years earlier.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

“I think that real rates are still in a favorable direction for the gold market,” says Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist at the World Gold Council.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

As of Friday morning, the critic’s consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was less than favorable, with a score of 40%.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Writing up the results Thursday, JPMorgan’s Jay Kwon predicted “the higher bit growth guidance and favorable pricing conditions bode well for continued consensus earnings-per-share upgrades.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 2026

I had some vague idea that it wasn’t too favorable, but I had never sought out the hard evidence.

From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth

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