favorite

especially British, fa·vour·ite

[fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonfavorite noun
• prefavorite noun
• unfavorite adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of favorite¹

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

For Diego, it’s the promise that Cin will share his writing with his favorite author, for whom she claims to work.

From Los Angeles Times

But if that gets a bit tiresome after the 13th time, here is a list of Swift sister songs to try instead, based on your favorite track from the new album.

From Los Angeles Times

With “Silver Bleeds the Black Sun,” that shift comes in the form of a collection of songs so heavily influenced by their favorite post-punk bands that Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” would fit perfectly among them.

From Los Angeles Times

Byrne, who has a habit of clutching her long fingers to her face while she speaks, muses for a bit but ultimately comes back to her own favorite performances.

From Los Angeles Times

Does he still have enough mental acuity to think deeply about his burger and his career favorite lie?

From Salon

Related Words

• beloved 
• cherished www.thesaurus.com
• favored 
• main 
• popular 
• prized www.thesaurus.com
• treasured www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

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.