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Showing results for "favour"

favour

American  
[fay-ver] / ˈfeɪ vər /

noun

Chiefly British.
  1. favor.


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

    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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Spelling

See -or 1.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of favour

C14: from Latin, from favēre to protect

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.

See Examples For:

The second scenario is that they are expelled by the Premier League, which would require 15 of their rival clubs to vote in favour of a motion decreeing so.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Despite progress in cutting the most harmful air pollutants in recent decades, ozone has proved more difficult to tackle as climate change fuels the conditions that favour its formation.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

On Monday, JPMorgan’s desk note dispatched to clients provided several arguments in favour of turning more constructive in the short-term.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Rodriguez has sought to frame her interim government as more permissive of political dissent while currying favour with the US.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

When I came in he ran to me and said he wanted to ask me a great favour—a very, very great favour; and as he spoke he fawned on me like a dog.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

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