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favorite

American  
[fey-ver-it, feyv-rit] / ˈfeɪ vər ɪt, ˈfeɪv rɪt /
especially British, favourite

noun

  1. a person or thing regarded with special favor or preference.

    That song is an old favorite of mine.

  2. Sports. a competitor considered likely to win.

  3. a person or thing popular with the public.

  4. a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, official, etc..

    favorites at the court.

  5. Digital Technology. bookmark.

adjective

  1. 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

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.

He celebrated wins by playing music by his favorite rapper, the Notorious B.I.G., on the trading desk.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

“I reach out to my favorite stars, my favorite celebrities, and I go, ‘It’s Kendra.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Everybody’s favorite fearless and super capable princess is back for another adventure — along with the denizens of her kingdom and a pair of New York plumber brothers — in “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

In South Korea, a playful green cartoon dinosaur named Dooly, known for the two small tufts of hair on his head, has been a favorite for generations.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

I’d need a lot more information before I let him borrow my favorite book.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

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.