favorite
favorite Lexical Profile
favorite Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
American Preferred before all others of the same kind; liked more than any other.
"Autumn has always been her favorite season because of the crisp air and changing leaves."
• noun
American A person or thing that is liked more than any other of the same kind, or is granted special treatment and preference.
"That classic novel remains a perennial favorite among high school literature students."
American The competitor or team judged most likely to win a race, game, or contest.
"The defending champion entered the tournament as the clear favorite to win the title."
American A saved link to a webpage or digital item stored in a browser or application for quick future access.
"He added the online research database to his browser favorites so he could find it easily."
• verb
American To mark or save a digital post, webpage, or file as a preferred item on a website or application.
"She favorited several articles during her commute so she could read them thoroughly over the weekend."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Favorite" is the standard American English spelling, whereas "favourite" is used in British, Canadian, and Australian English. Because it already expresses a superlative degree of preference, using "more favorite" or "most favorite" is generally avoided in formal writing.
• Rhymes for favorite
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Middle French favori, via Old Italian favorito, the past participle of favorire ('to favor'), ultimately from Latin favor ('goodwill, inclination').