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

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.

They can usually direct their donations toward funding a specific mission – perhaps in memory of a favorite professor, supporting cancer research or to support extracurricular activities such as sports.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

James, when asked if he wanted to clarify his remarks, then mentioned Milwaukee also as one of his least favorite cities.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Saccharin grew popular during World War I sugar shortages and later became a favorite of dieters.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Spirited Boss, at 18-1, held off Amorita as well as defending champion and odds-on favorite Queen Maxima, to win for trainer Jose Francisco D’Angelo.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

“I mean, maybe she only wanted to confide in me…” Now I’m back to wanting to be her favorite.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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