What does "favourite" mean?
A person or thing who enjoys special regard or favour.
Favourite
/ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person or thing who enjoys special regard or favour.
- Grammar: favourite is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: best-loved, darling, dearie, deary.
- Useful contrasts: underdog.
- Usage evidence: I think your favourite actress is in it.
How to use "favourite"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "favourite" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "favourite" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "favourite" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "favourite" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "favourite" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "best-loved" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "favourite", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person or thing who enjoys special regard or favour. British, Commonwealth, Ireland
"The teacher's favourite always went first."
- 2 something regarded with special favor or liking wordnet
- 3 A person who is preferred or trusted above all others. British, Commonwealth, Ireland
- 4 a special loved one wordnet
- 5 A contestant or competitor thought most likely to win. British, Commonwealth, Ireland
"You were my favourite to win the spelling competition."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a competitor thought likely to win wordnet
- 7 A bookmark on a web browser or website. British, Commonwealth, Internet, Ireland
- 8 A short curl dangling over the temples, fashionable in the reign of Charles II. British, Commonwealth, Ireland, in-plural
"the Favourites hang loose upon the Temples with a languishing Lock in the middle"
Verb
- 1 To favour. British, Commonwealth, Ireland
- 2 To mark an item as a personal favorite on social media wordnet
- 3 To bookmark. British, Commonwealth, Internet, Ireland
- 4 To add to one's list of favourite items on a website that allows users to compile such lists. British, Commonwealth, Internet, Ireland
Adjective
- 1 Most-liked. (In other words, [person]'s favorite [noun] = the [noun] that [person] likes the most.) British, Commonwealth, Ireland, superlative
"This is my favourite day!"
- 2 Liked, cherished. British, Commonwealth, Ireland, positive
"What joy has this dog in miſchief!—More than I can have in the completion of my moſt favourite purpoſes!"
Adjective
- 1 preferred above all others and treated with partiality wordnet
- 2 appealing to the general public wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I think your favourite actress is in it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "favourite"?
Common synonyms include: best-loved, darling, dearie, deary, ducky, favor.
How do you use "favourite" in a sentence?
I think your favourite actress is in it.
How do you pronounce "favourite"?
Pronounced /ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/.
Etymology
Attested from the 1580s, borrowed from Middle French favorit, from Old French favorit or Italian favorito (“favoured, favourite”), past participle of Italian favorire (“to favor”), from favore, from Latin favor (“good will, favor”), from the verb faveō (“I favour”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Doublet of favori.