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.

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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”; see favor, -ite ²

Explanation

Your favorite is what you like best. Your room is probably painted your favorite color, and the folders you carry to school are probably that color too. In a competition, the favorite is the one considered likely to win. If you bet on the favorite in a horse race, you're betting on the horse lots of other people think will win. The opposite of the favorite is the dark horse, or the underdog, or the long shot. You may have a favorite recipe, a favorite Web site, a favorite pastime, a favorite anything.

Example Sentences

And enough with the social-media snark about dreading the thought of Spirit passengers suddenly showing up on your favorite non-discount airline.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

It doesn’t hurt to throw in a cracker and slices of your favorite cheese, too.

From Salon • May 1, 2026

Commandment, a top betting favorite, won the Florida Derby by a nose on March 28 and is Daily Racing Form analyst David Aragona’s top pick.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

“I love all three of those bands, but my favorite was the Descendents,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

We’re crossing the tiny stream— my favorite part of the trail—and my legs start to speed up, anticipating the end, before I remember we won’t be done when we finish our second loop.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• beloved
• cherished
• favored
• main
• popular
• prized
• treasured