favorable
Americanadjective
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characterized by approval or support; positive.
a favorable report.
-
creating or winning favor; pleasing.
to make a favorable impression.
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affording advantage, opportunity, or convenience; advantageous.
a favorable position.
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(of an answer) granting what is desired.
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boding well; propitious.
The signs are favorable for a new start.
Other Word Forms
- favorableness noun
- favorably adverb
- nonfavorable adjective
- nonfavorableness noun
- nonfavorably adverb
- overfavorable adjective
- overfavorableness noun
- overfavorably adverb
- prefavorable adjective
- prefavorably adverb
- quasi-favorable adjective
- quasi-favorably adverb
Etymology
Origin of favorable
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Middle French, from Latin favōrābilis; equivalent to favor + -able
Explanation
The word favorable describes something positive or promising, such as a two-thumbs-up movie review or the perfect conditions for golf. When things are going well, or in your favor, they’re favorable. Favorable is an adjective that describes approval or good conditions for something. If you wrote a book, you’d want the reviews to be favorable. If the weather is favorable, it's sunny out and perfect for a picnic. If you wanted to go swimming, thunderstorms would be unfavorable: they would ruin your plans. Favorable situations make us smile.
Vocabulary lists containing favorable
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 3
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Content Summary G.3: Spatial Reorganization
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Charlotte's Web
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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.
UnitedHealth said in a release that the low figure was “driven by strong medical cost management and favorable reserve development,” despite continued high medical costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
The company cited “strong medical cost management and favorable reserve development,” though it noted those gains were impacted by higher-than-normal medical utilization.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026
Capitalizing on favorable pit position, Palou emerged from the lane just ahead of Rosenqvist.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026
Many species also migrate seasonally to stay within favorable temperature ranges.
From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026
California had drawn the most favorable lane— lane number one, nearest the western bank of the river, where the current was least likely to affect a boat.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
