favorite

1 of 2

noun

fa·​vor·​ite ˈfā-v(ə-)rət 

ˈfā-vərt

chiefly dialectal ˈfā-və-ˌrīt

1

: one that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking

That song is my favorite.

especially : a person who is specially loved, trusted, or provided with favors by someone of high rank or authority

The king granted the land to two of his favorites.

2

: a competitor judged most likely to win

Which horse is the favorite in this race?

favorite

2 of 2

adjective

: constituting a favorite

his favorite daughter

especially : markedly popular

the country's favorite sport

Synonyms of favorite

Noun

• darling
• preference

Adjective

• loved
• beloved
• cherished
• precious
• special
• darling
• favored
• sweet

Examples of favorite in a Sentence

Noun

Of all his books, do you have a favorite?

That movie is my favorite.

That movie is a great favorite with audiences everywhere.

Adjective

that teacher claims not to have any favorite students, although many in the class would disagree

mint chocolate chip is my favorite flavor of ice cream

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

My favorite is a Remington 1100 28-gauge with a factory skeet barrel. — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026

The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade. — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Adjective

And if your eyes are your favorite feature, play them up with sculptural lashes, a soft smoky eye, or a simple wash of cool-toned eye shadow. — Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026

When late summer rolls around, Taylor Fritz joins a chorus of Americans in extoling the virtues of hard courts and talking about how the North American swing is his favorite time of year. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

Italian favorito, past participle of favorire to favor, from favore favor, from Latin favor

First Known Use

Noun

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1692, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing favorite

• co-favorite
• favorite son

Kids Definition

favorite

1 of 2 noun

fa·​vor·​ite ˈfāv-(ə-)rət 

1

: a person or a thing that is preferred more than others

2

: the contestant considered as having the best chance to win

favorite

2 of 2 adjective

: being a favorite

our favorite show