favour
Americannoun
noun
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an approving attitude; good will
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an act performed out of good will, generosity, or mercy
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prejudice and partiality; favouritism
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a condition of being regarded with approval or good will (esp in the phrases in favour , out of favour )
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archaic leave; permission
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a token of love, goodwill, etc
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a small gift or toy given to a guest at a party
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history a badge or ribbon worn or given to indicate loyalty, often bestowed on a knight by a lady
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obsolete a communication, esp a business letter
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archaic appearance
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to be approved of by someone
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approving
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to the benefit of
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(of a cheque, etc) made out to
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in order to show preference for
I rejected him in favour of George
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verb
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to regard with especial kindness or approval
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to treat with partiality or favouritism
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to support; advocate
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to perform a favour for; oblige
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to help; facilitate
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informal to resemble
he favours his father
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to wear habitually
she favours red
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to treat gingerly or with tenderness; spare
a footballer favouring an injured leg
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.
A first-tier tribunal has ruled in Ball's favour over the dispute, after she proved use of the gate since the 1960s.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
"I am in favour of us standing up to unfair trade practices," Klingbeil said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
While England internationals George Kruis and Alex Goode have made moves there in the past, there has been a shift lately to favour Japanese players over big-money imports.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The unit had been weighed in particular by the wide gap between Japan's still low interest rates and those of the Federal Reserve, which encouraged investors to favour better-yielding dollar-denominated assets.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Indeed, a faint hypnopaedic prejudice in favour of size was universal.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
