Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » favor

favor

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

Favor is defined as approval or something you do for someone else.

(noun)

An example of favor is when your daughter behaves correctly.
An example of favor is when you pick up the drycleaning for your husband so he doesn't have to.

The definition of favor is to show preferential treatment and to act like you like someone better than others.

(verb)

An example of favor is when a teacher always calls only on the students she likes.

See favor in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

friendly or kind regard; good will; approval; liking
unfair partiality; favoritism
a kind, obliging, friendly, or generous act: to do someone a favor
sexual privileges granted by a woman
1. a small gift, souvenir, or token
2. Archaic a token of love, as to a knight from a female admirer
Archaic a business letter or note: your favor of the 15th June
Archaic
1. appearance or look
2. face or countenance
Obsolete attractiveness; charm

Origin: ME favour < OFr < L favor < favere, to favor < IE base *ghow-, to perceive > OE (ofer) gumian, to neglect, Czech hověti, to take precautions (with), spare

transitive verb

to regard with favor; approve or like
to be indulgent or too indulgent toward; be partial to; prefer unfairly
to be for; support; advocate; endorse
to make easier; help; assist: rain favored his escape
to do a kindness for
to look like; resemble in facial features: to favor one's mother
to use gently; spare: to favor an injured leg

Related Forms:

favorer noun

See favor in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted: do someone a favor.
a. Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support: won the favor of the monarch; looked with favor on the plan.
b. A state of being held in such regard: a style currently in favor.
Unfair partiality; favoritism.
a. A privilege or concession.
b. favors Sexual privileges, especially as granted by a woman.
a. Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.
b. A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.
Advantage; benefit: sailed under favor of cloudless skies.
Behalf; interest: an error in our favor.
Obsolete A communication, especially a letter.
Archaic
a. Aspect or appearance.
b. Countenance; face.
Obsolete A facial feature.

verb fa·vored, fa·vor·ing, fa·vors

verb, transitive

To perform a kindness or service for; oblige. See Synonyms at oblige.
To treat or regard with friendship, approval, or support.
To be partial to; indulge a liking for: favors bright colors.
To be or tend to be in support of.
To make easier or more possible; facilitate: Darkness favored their escape.
To treat with care; be gentle with: favored my wounded leg.
Chiefly Southern U.S. To resemble in appearance: She favors her father.

verb, intransitive
Chiefly Southern U.S.

To resemble another in appearance: She and her father favor.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Latin

Origin: , from favēre, to be favorable

Related Forms:

faˈvor·er noun

faˈvor·ing·ly adverb

Regional Note: When a Southerner favors a relative, he or she is not giving that person special privileges; rather, the Southerner looks like that relative. Favor can be either transitive—She favors her father—or intransitive with a compound subject: She and her father favor. This sense of favor goes back to early modern English: “This young lord Chamont/Favors my mother” (Ben Jonson). The verb derives from the noun favor, which was used from the 15th to the 19th century to mean “appearance, aspect; the countenance, face”: “What makes thy favor like the bloodless head/Fall'n on the block?” (Tennyson). This sense of the noun is now archaic, but the verb thrives in the English of the Southern United States.

Learn more about favor

favor synonyms

favor phrase meanings

favor in a sentence

link/cite print suggestion box