favor Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an act of gracious kindness
    favour.
  2. noun an advantage to the benefit of someone or something
    favour.
    • the outcome was in his favor
  3. noun an inclination to approve
    favour.
    • that style is in favor this season
  4. noun a feeling of favorable regard
    favour.
  5. noun souvenir consisting of a small gift given to a guest at a party
    party favor; party favour; favour.
  6. verb promote over another
    prefer; favour.
    • he favors his second daughter
  7. verb consider as the favorite
    favour.
    • The local team was favored
  8. verb treat gently or carefully
    favour.
  9. verb bestow a privilege upon
    privilege; favour.

WordNet

Fa"vor noun
Etymology
Written also favour.
OF. favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf. Skr. bhavaya to further, foster, causative of bh to become, be. Cf. Be. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is prob. for favel a horse. See 2d Favel.
Definitions
  1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will.
    Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak.
  2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending.
    But found no favor in his lady's eyes. Dryden.
    And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke ii. 52.
  3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
    Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. Shak.
  4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
    I could not discover the lenity and fabor of this sentence. Swift.
  5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
    All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man, His chief delight and favor. Milton.
  6. A gift or represent; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
    Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap. Shak.
  7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. Obs.
    This boy is fair, of female favor. Shak.
  8. (Law) Partiality; bias. Bouvier.
  9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
  10. pl. Love locks. Obs. Wright.
    But, with your favor, I will treat it here. Dryden.
    Syn. -- Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit.
Fa"vor transitive verb
Etymology
Written also favour.
Cf. OF. favorer, favorir. See Favor, n.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Favored ; present participle & verbal noun Favoring
Definitions
  1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards.
    O happy youth! and favored of the skies. Pope.
    He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab. 2 Sam. xx. 11.
    [The painter] has favored her squint admirably. Swift.
  2. To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.
  3. To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.
    The porter owned that the gentleman favored his master. Spectator.

Webster 1913