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Synonym Chooser

How is the word favorable different from other adjectives like it?

The words auspicious and propitious are common synonyms of favorable. While all three words mean "pointing toward a happy outcome," favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous.

favorable weather conditions

When is auspicious a more appropriate choice than favorable?

In some situations, the words auspicious and favorable are roughly equivalent. However, auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event.

an auspicious beginning

When is it sensible to use propitious instead of favorable?

While in some cases nearly identical to favorable, propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition.

a propitious time for starting a business

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of favorable By applying enough pressure now, the thinking goes, Ukraine and its backers can enter talks from a favorable position, and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be forced to engage in good-faith negotiations that end in a satisfactory settlement. Alexandra Prokopenko, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025 But Cannon handed Trump several lifelines with favorable legal rulings and eventually dismissed the case on the grounds that Smith was improperly appointed. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2025 And why was that favorable over going to a team where he could be paired with his own GM of choice? Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2025 There is a close split between favorable (46%) and unfavorable (48%) opinions of Trump, personally. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for favorable 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favorable
Adjective
  • But anytime he’s ever mentioned me, it’s always been positive.
    Rachel DeSantis, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Aside from the Louisiana patient, all the individuals who tested positive for H5N1 recovered quickly and never needed to be hospitalized.
    Emily Mullin, WIRED, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The case attracted international attention at the time not only because the victim — a promising artistic soul with several short films already to his name — was the child of a celebrity, but because the driver was apparently famous as well.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Chop Robinson came on to seem like a promising pick moving forward.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • That rate is of an intensity that is beneficial and isn’t intense enough to start producing mud flows or a debris flow.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Rainfall will be mostly beneficial but poses a risk for dangerous debris flows over recent burn scars.
    James Bickerton, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Mancini, meanwhile, doesn’t have a high ceiling but has a good chance of developing into a legitimate upgrade compared to who the Canucks have iced on the right side of their third pair this season (Noah Juulsen/Vincent Desharnais).
    Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Principles of good administration, therefore, necessitate action to restore accountability to the career civil service, beginning with positions of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For Max, the Nielsen shoutout is an encouraging sign.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Jan. 2025
  • The encouraging constant is that Jackson gets himself into goalscoring positions at an outstanding rate: his non-penalty xG per 90 minutes in 2024-25 is 0.61, ranking him fifth among all Premier League players and not far behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (0.64), according to FBref.
    Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The cash could be helpful as Dover’s leadership team considers further adjustments to its wide-ranging portfolio that focuses the company on more attractive end markets.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
  • For people who have kids, having an emergency contact with legal residency status who has permission to pick them up from school can also be helpful.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s gonna be emergency after emergency, after asteroid, after nuclear-something-or-other, after truly world-ending stuff, and then perhaps there’ll be a horizon that’s a little bit brighter all the way at the finish line.
    Jennifer Maas, Variety, 21 Jan. 2025
  • Maybe if the Bruins prioritized their drafting and development over the years, the future would be brighter.
    Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near favorable

Cite this Entry

“Favorable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favorable. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on favorable

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