• favorite(US)

Attested from the 1580s, borrowed fromMiddle Frenchfavorit, fromOld Frenchfavorit orItalianfavorito(“favoured, favourite”), past participle ofItalianfavorire(“to favor”), fromfavore, fromLatinfavor(“good will, favor”), from the verbfaveō(“I favour”), ultimately fromProto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂weh₁yeti(“to be favourable to”), from the rootProto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-(“to shine, glow light”).Doublet offavori.

• IPA^(key):/ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/

• Audio(US):

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• Audio(General Australian):

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favourite (comparativemorefavourite,superlativemostfavouriteorfavouritemostor(nonstandard)favouritest)(British,Ireland,Commonwealth)

1. Preferred orliked above allothers(unless qualified).

   Antonyms:leastfavorite,unfavourite,unfavorite

   This is my secondfavourite occupation.

   • 2004, Brigid Lowry,Guitar Highway Rose:

     The Nanny is one of Pippa'sfavourite shows, but tonight the pleasure of mindlessly blobbing out in her usual Sunday-laid-back-luxury style...

2. Belonging to acategory whosemembers are all preferred or liked over nonmembers.

   I just saw a movie with all myfavourite actors in it.

   • 1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter VII. Mr. Lovelace. In Continuation.”, inClarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London:[…] S[amuel] Richardson; […],→OCLC,page87:

     What joy has this dog in miſchief!—More than I can have in the completion of my moſtfavourite purpoſes!

favourite (pluralfavourites)(British,Ireland,Commonwealth)

1. Aperson orthing who enjoysspecialregard orfavour.

   Antonyms:unfavourite,unfavorite

   The teacher'sfavourite always went first.

2. A person who is preferred ortrusted above all others.

   Synonym:top dog(most preferred)

   Synonym:darling(most loved)

3. Acontestant orcompetitor thought mostlikely towin.

   You were myfavourite to win the spelling competition.

   She's thefavourite, she'll probably be elected.

   • 2012 June 9, Owen Phillips, “Euro 2012: Netherlands 0 – 1 Denmark”, inBBC Sport‎^[1], archived fromthe original on4 November 2016:

     Netherlands, one of the pre-tournamentfavourites, combined their undoubted guile, creativity, pace and attacking quality with midfield grit and organisation.

4. (Internet) Abookmark in aweb browser.
5. (in theplural) A shortcurl dangling over thetemples, fashionable in the reign ofCharles II.
   • 1701,George Farquhar,Sir Harry Wildair:

     theFavourites hang loose upon the Temples with a languishing Lock in the middle

favourite (third-person singular simple presentfavourites,present participlefavouriting,simple past and past participlefavourited)(British,Ireland,Commonwealth)

1. Tofavour.
2. (Internet) Tobookmark.
3. (Internet) To add to one's list of favourite items on awebsite that allows users to compile such lists.

   Antonyms:unfavourite,unfavorite

• fave

• → Japanese:ふぁぼ