favourite

British  

/ ˈfeɪvrɪt, ˈfeɪvərɪt /

adjective

1. (prenominal) most liked; preferred above all others

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noun

1. 1. a person or thing regarded with especial preference or liking

   2. ( as modifier )

      a favourite book

2. sport a competitor thought likely to win

3. (pl) computing a place on certain browsers that allows internet users to list the addresses of websites they find and like with a click of the mouse so that they can revisit them merely by opening the list and clicking on the address

4. to display favouritism

Etymology

Origin of favourite

C16: from Italian favorito , from favorire to favour, from Latin favēre

Example Sentences

Thomas's other favourite is Peter Getting Out of Nick's Pool, which he describes as a "snapshot of a peaceful, beautiful and gay paradise in the mid-60s".

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

"My least favourite thing in music exams was sight-reading, so these guys are just amazing," adds Smith.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

"I can't lay my eyes on my favourite place at home, on some elements of my house, a vase, a view from my window," he said.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

"That's one of my favourite things," she says "I can write a song about being petty or jealous or super insecure, and I get it off my chest in a way that seems productive."

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

And they’ll say: “Yes, that’s one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn’t he, dad?”

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien