favor

American  

[fey-ver] / ˈfeɪ vər /

especially British, favour

noun

1. something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act.

   to ask a favor.

2. friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill.

   to win the favor of the king.

   Antonyms:

   malice, animosity

3. the state of being approved or held in regard.

   to be in favor at court; styles that are now in favor.

4. excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment.

   to treat some people with favor and others with neglect.

5. a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc., as formerly upon a knight by his lady.

   Synonyms:

   present

6. a ribbon, badge, etc., worn in evidence of goodwill or loyalty, as by an adherent of a political party.

7. a small gift or decorative or festive item, as a noisemaker or paper hat, often distributed to guests at a party.

8. Usually favors. sexual intimacy, especially as permitted by a woman.

9. Archaic. a letter, especially a commercial one.

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verb (used with object)

1. to regard with favor.

   to favor an enterprise.

   Synonyms:

   sanction, countenance, approve

   Antonyms:

   disapprove

2. to prefer; treat with partiality.

   The father favored his younger son.

3. to show favor to; oblige.

   The king favored him with an audience.

   Synonyms:

   patronize, encourage

4. to be favorable to; facilitate.

   The wind favored their journey.

5. to deal with, treat, or use gently.

   to favor a lame leg.

6. to aid or support.

   He favored his party's cause with ample funds.

   Synonyms:

   assist, help

7. to bear a physical resemblance to; resemble.

   to favor one's father's side of the family.

idioms

1. in one's favor, to one's credit or advantage.

   All the comments were in your favor.

2. in favor of,

   1. on the side of; in support of.

      to be in favor of reduced taxation.

   2. to the advantage of.

   3. (of a check, draft, etc.) payable to.

      Make out your checks in favor of the corporation.

3. find favor with, to gain the favor of; be liked by.

   The play found favor with the opening-night audience.

4. out of favor, no longer liked or approved; no longer popular or fashionable.

   He's out of favor with the president and may soon be fired.

favor More Idioms  

1. see curry favor; in favor of; in favor with; in one's favor; out of favor; return the compliment (favor).

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Related Words

Favor, goodwill imply a kindly regard or friendly disposition shown by an individual or group. Favor may be merely an attitude of mind: to look with favor on a proposal. Goodwill is more active and leads often to outward manifestations of friendly approval: By frequent applause the audience showed its goodwill toward the speaker.

Other Word Forms

• favorer noun
• overfavor verb (used with object)
• prefavor noun
• unfavoring adjective

Etymology

Origin of favor

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English favo(u)r, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin favōr- (stem of favor ) “goodwill,” derivative of favēre “to be favorably inclined” + -ōr- -or ¹

Explanation

A favor is an act of kindness, like doing your friend a favor by letting her borrow your calculator to take the big math test. Favor can be used as a noun: an advantage, like having experience in your favor when you apply for a job; a nice gesture, like giving your friend a ride to school; or a party favor, a little gift you get at a party. As a verb, favor means "like the most," like foods you favor, or "treat gently," like favoring your right leg when walking because it hurts to put weight on it.

Example Sentences

Via email, he said that repurchases’ popularity has led him to tweak his newsletter’s original methodology to favor stocks with healthy cash-flow yields.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that despite many macro factors working in tech’s favor this year, hiring has only gotten worse,” he said.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Of the three options, I favor recharacterizing the contribution and getting that money in a Roth IRA.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

It reflects a movement that has, to a significant degree, abandoned the project of persuasion in favor of the consolidation of identity.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

Our adversaries...attempted to appropriate it, but I insisted yesterday we fairly captured it....I now request the band to favor me with its performance.”

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• accept
• advocate
• appreciate
• approve
• back
• champion
• choose
• encourage
• endorse
• pick
• praise
• support