favour

American  

[fey-ver] / ˈfeɪ vər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. favor.

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favour British  

/ ˈfeɪvə /

noun

1. an approving attitude; good will

2. an act performed out of good will, generosity, or mercy

3. prejudice and partiality; favouritism

4. a condition of being regarded with approval or good will (esp in the phrases in favour , out of favour )

5. archaic leave; permission

6. a token of love, goodwill, etc

7. a small gift or toy given to a guest at a party

8. history a badge or ribbon worn or given to indicate loyalty, often bestowed on a knight by a lady

9. obsolete a communication, esp a business letter

10. archaic appearance

11. to be approved of by someone

12. 1. approving

    2. to the benefit of

    3. (of a cheque, etc) made out to

    4. in order to show preference for

       I rejected him in favour of George

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verb

1. to regard with especial kindness or approval

2. to treat with partiality or favouritism

3. to support; advocate

4. to perform a favour for; oblige

5. to help; facilitate

6. informal to resemble

   he favours his father

7. to wear habitually

   she favours red

8. to treat gingerly or with tenderness; spare

   a footballer favouring an injured leg

Spelling

See -or ¹.

Other Word Forms

• favourer noun
• favouringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of favour

C14: from Latin, from favēre to protect

Example Sentences

Last month, a Goldman spokesman played down the gifts, saying: "It's well known that Epstein often offered unsolicited favours and gifts to his many business contacts."

From BBC

But her former boss that the Foreign Office, Lord McDonald told Channel 4 News that if she was indeed the favoured candidate "the due diligence has some way still to go".

From BBC

Long a place for chance encounters, this stretch of water has over the years become a favoured meeting spot for young men and women in search of a soulmate.

From Barron's

Bennett played the percentages, content to nullify Australia's spinners, and largely eschewed boundary hitting in favour of accumulation as he looked to establish a solid total.

From BBC

With 12 games to go, history does not favour Arsenal with their end-of-season form.

From BBC