favor

1 of 2

noun

fa·​vor ˈfā-vər 

1

a(1)

: friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior

a politician attempting to keep the favor of the voters

(2)

: approving consideration or attention : approbation

looked with favor on the enterprise

b

: partiality

The students naturally showed favor toward their own team.

c

archaic : leniency

d

archaic : permission

e

: popularity

The fad lost favor quickly.

2

archaic

a

: appearance

b(1)

: face

(2)

: a facial feature

3

a

: gracious kindness

also : an act of such kindness

did you a favor

b

archaic : aid, assistance

c

favors plural : effort in one's behalf or interest : attention

vying for the king's favor

4

a

: a token of love (such as a ribbon) usually worn conspicuously

b

: a small gift or decorative item given out at a party

c

: badge

5

a

: a special privilege or right granted or conceded

granted a favor to a dear friend

b

: sexual privileges

—usually used in plural

6

archaic : letter

7

: behalf, interest

a man who acts only in his own favor

favor

2 of 2

verb

favored; favoring ˈfā-v(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to regard or treat with favor

b(1)

: to do a kindness for : oblige

(2)

: endow

c

: to treat gently or carefully

favored her injured leg

2

: to show partiality toward : prefer

3

a

: to give support or confirmation to : sustain

b

: to afford advantages for success to : facilitate

good weather favored the outing

4

: to bear a resemblance to

he favors his father

favorer

ˈfā-vər-ər 

noun

Phrases

in favor of

1

a

: in accord or sympathy with

b

: to the benefit of : in support of

a verdict in favor of the accused

2

: to the order of

3

: in order to choose : out of preference for

turned down the scholarship in favor of a pro career

in one's favor

1

: in one's good graces

wanted to get back in the teacher's favor

2

: to one's advantage

The judge ruled in our favor.

out of favor

: unpopular, disliked

Her ideas are now out of favor.

Synonyms

Noun

• benevolence
• boon
• courtesy
• grace
• indulgence
• kindness
• mercy
• service
• turn

Verb

• accommodate
• oblige

Examples of favor in a Sentence

Noun

I drove her to the airport because I owed her a favor.

She's willing to help you but only as a favor to me.

Don't do me any favors. I don't need your help.

I've learned to be grateful for small favors.

He's trying to earn the boss's favor by working late.

The judge showed favor for the defendant.

The students naturally showed favor toward their own school's team.

Small boxes of candy were given out as favors at the wedding.

Verb

The teacher clearly favors you.

Most voters favor these tax cuts.

Her father favored the idea of her going to law school.

They won the championship last year, and most forecasters favor them to win again this year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There’s a lot of the universe working in our favor on them days. —Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024

If the weather’s not in your favor, that gets tricky fast. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2024

But Brazil has also sought favor with the world’s great powers, deftly navigating the frictions among China, Russia, and the United States in order to bolster ties with all three. —Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024

The suit was dropped, but Synanon could not regain public favor, closing down after the IRS revoked the group’s tax-exempt status in 1982. —Olivia B. Waxman, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

While its strategic significance is limited, the loss of Avdiivka - taken together with Moscow’s capture of the town of Bakhmut last year - indicates how the war appears to have turned in Russia’s favor. —Mariya Knight, CNN, 29 Mar. 2024

In one, known as Case 4000, Netanyahu stood accused of promising regulatory favors to the owner of Israel’s largest telecom corporation in return for favorable coverage on a popular news site. —Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024

With that in mind, these best walleye lures should help up the odds of a full livewell in your favor this season. —David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024

Nearly four years ago, the staff at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix was hounded by former President Donald Trump's supporters, who pushed his false claims that votes in his favor were not counted. —Averi Harper, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024

Verb

Around 58% of voters decided against Question 1; 42% of voters favored the sales tax proposal. —Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2024

But the market is evolving in ways that may not favor Tesla. —Neal E. Boudette, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024

Its presence favors a very active storm pattern through the southern and eastern United States. —Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

First the men, whose surviving foursome is set: Dan Hurley’s No. 1 seed UConn men swatted No. 3 Illinois from the season 77-52 and seems close to unbeatable — the reigning national champion and favored to repeat. —Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Other states that favor more liberal access to stem cells have haven’t gone as far as Utah. —Bymeredith Wadman, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024

If Trump wins white voters, the largest U.S. racial group, for the third election in a row, Biden needs a dominant showing among a diverse set of groups that typically favor Democrats. —Trevor Hunnicutt, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

Despite the data favoring afternoons, there's some tantalizing albeit preliminary research from Esser's lab suggesting that exercising regularly in the morning can train your muscles' clocks to perform just as well at that time of day. —Will Stone, NPR, 29 Mar. 2024

The proposal of the rules last year faced strong pushback from Republican lawmakers, who said President Joe Biden's Democratic administration has hampered oil, gas and coal development, and favors conservation over development. —Matthew Brown, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin, from favēre to be favorable; perhaps akin to Old High German gouma attention, Old Church Slavonic gověti to revere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing favor

• come into favor
• all in favor
• come out in favor of
• curry favor
• do (someone) a favor
• decide in favor of/for
• do oneself a favor
• in favor
• do a favor for (someone)
• come down in favor of
• odds are in (someone's) favor
• look with favor on
• fall from favor
• in someone's favor
• lose favor
• find approval/favor
• in one's favor
• party favor
• political favor
• return the favor
• the odds are in favor of (something)
• work in someone's favor
• stack the odds in favor of (someone)
• stack the odds in someone's favor
• Do me a favor
• out of favor
• in favor of

Kids Definition

favor

1 of 2 noun

fa·​vor ˈfā-vər 

1

a

: friendly regard shown toward another

enjoyed the favor of the king

b

: approval

look with favor on a project

c

: partiality sense 1, preference

the judge showed favor to one side

d

: the quality or state of being popular

lose favor

2

: an act of kindness

do a friend a favor

3

: a small gift given out at a party

favor

2 of 2 verb

favored; favoring ˈfāv-(ə-)riŋ 

1

a

: to look upon or treat with favor

b

: to do a kindness for : oblige

c

: to treat gently or carefully : spare

favor a sore leg

2

: prefer sense 1

3

: to make possible or easy : help to succeed

darkness favored the attack

4

: to look like : resemble

favors his mother

favorer

ˈfā-vər-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

favor

noun

fa·​vor

1

: bias

2

: benefit