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

I get up from my desk, and track Thomas down in his favorite chair or the end of our bed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He picked up a Stephen King book and told me his favorite serial is the “Green Mile” series.

Read more on Salon

“Many are creating original videos and excited about interacting with their favorite characters, which we see as an opportunity for rightsholders to connect with fans and share in that creativity.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That said, teens are still willing to spend at their favorite brands.

Read more on Barron's

Although she claims that Cam is her favorite kid, she only half-listens to him when he says he’s headed to boot camp, instructing him to return home with a carton of milk.

Read more on 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.