favouritism

British

/ ˈfeɪvrɪ-, ˈfeɪvərɪˌtɪzəm /

noun

the practice of giving special treatment to a person or group
the state of being treated as a favourite

"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

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.

It added that there were "strong suspicions" of favouritism related to the tender for a nine-month training course for junior diplomats.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Piastri has rejected any suggestions that the team was not being fair, saying he's "very happy that there's no favouritism or bias".

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

"But I think China has done it consistently and in a way that really fosters the most competitive landscape that there is. There's no favouritism to anybody," he adds.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2025

Speaking before the ATP Qatar Open, Novak Djokovic questions the fairness of the anti-doping system and says there is "favouritism" towards high-profile players.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

Of course, officially, guardians weren’t supposed to show favouritism, but there were little displays of affection all the time within certain parameters; and most of what Ruth suggested fell easily within them.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023