favorite

especially British, fa·vour·ite

[fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

noun

1. a person or thing regarded with special favor or preference.

   That song is an old favorite of mine.

2. Sports.,  a competitor considered likely to win.

3. a person or thing popular with the public.

4. a person treated with special or undue favor by a king, official, etc..

   favorites at the court.

5. Digital Technology.,  bookmark.

adjective

1. regarded with particular favor or preference.

   a favorite child.

Other Word Forms

• nonfavorite noun
• prefavorite noun
• unfavorite adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of favorite¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Middle French, from Italian favorito, “favored,” past participle of favorire “to favor, support,” from favore “favor, goodwill”; favor, -ite ²

Example Sentences

He says his favorite episode that he appears in is “Gay Witch Hunt,” which centers Oscar Martinez, while he praises “Dinner Party” from the ones he did not take part in.

From Los Angeles Times

Sustenance is offered — a hummus sandwich, not one of the character’s favorites — but the plot won’t allow him to dig in just yet.

From Los Angeles Times

Her favorite pieces are the ones she’s sourced from all over the world.

From Los Angeles Times

The Inland Empire audience has shown her the most admiration, she explained, as fans repeatedly come to Nobre’s shows to sing along to their favorite Rivera tracks.

From Los Angeles Times

Next up is a Tuesday showdown at home against Sierra Canyon, considered this year’s Division 1 favorite once the Trailblazers get their sit-out period transfer players eligible on Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beloved 
• cherished www.thesaurus.com
• favored 
• main 
• popular 
• prized www.thesaurus.com
• treasured www.thesaurus.com

When To Use

Spelling tips for favorite

The word favorite is hard to spell for two reasons. First, in British English it is spelled with a u (favourite), unlike the American English spelling favorite. Second, the final e is silent.How to spell favorite:  When you do someone a favor, you don't do it for yourself. So, there is no u in favor. Now that we have the beginning of the word down, how do we remember the e in -ite? Well, it wouldn't be anything without an Ending (an e at the end). Put the two together and you get favorite.