disfavor

noun dis·fa·vor \ (ˌ)dis-ˈfā-vər \

|Updated on: 24 Jul 2018

Examples: disfavor in a Sentence

Definition of disfavor

1 : disapproval, dislike

practices looked upon with disfavor

2 : the state or fact of being no longer favored

fell into disfavor

3 : disadvantage

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See disfavor defined for kids

Examples of disfavor in a Sentence

He regarded their proposal with disfavor.
They looked with disfavor upon her.

Recent Examples of disfavor from the Web

In 1577, Ghiyas—possibly in debt or disfavor with the Safavid Shah, Isma’il II—and his pregnant wife left Herat (today Afghanistan’s third-largest city) for Mughal India.

— maxwell carter, WSJ, "‘Empress’ Review: Light of the Mughal World," 13 July 2018
The relative popularity or public disfavor of Trump could bleed into the Senate election.

— stephen koff, cleveland.com, "Jim Renacci wins U.S. Senate primary, setting up challenge to Sherrod Brown in the fall," 8 May 2018
After winning or sharing four Big Ten titles, he was fired in 1987 after falling into disfavor with Ohio State President Ed Jennings.

— mitch stacy, chicagotribune.com, "Former Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce dies at 87," 20 Apr. 2018
After winning or sharing four Big Ten titles, he was fired in 1987 after falling into disfavor with Ohio State president Ed Jennings.

— mitch stacy and rusty miller, BostonGlobe.com, "Earle Bruce, 87; coached Ohio State after mentor fell from grace," 20 Apr. 2018
Winning unanimous disfavor, however, was the petite size of the six shrimp on the plate.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "Get It Inn provides spicy addition to Locust Point," 18 Apr. 2018
Another cabinet member falling into some disfavor is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

— louise radnofsky, WSJ, "Cabinet May Get More Scrutiny From President Trump," 30 Mar. 2018
The female plaintiffs argue that the company’s internal rating system discriminates against women and disfavors professional advancement for women.

— cyrus farivar, Ars Technica, "“Women at Microsoft are sexualized by their male managers,” lawsuit alleges," 13 Mar. 2018
According to one of the people familiar, that case has been discussed by China’s leadership, with an aide to Mr. Xi recently carrying a message to Washington that CEFC is in disfavor.

— WSJ, "Highflying Chinese Oilman Is Tripped Up; a $9 Billion Russian Deal Is at Risk," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disfavor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of disfavor

probably from Middle French desfaveur, from des- dis- + faveur favor, from Old French favor

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First Known Use: circa 1533

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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disfavor Synonyms

disfavor

verb

Definition of disfavor

transitive verb

: to withhold or withdraw favor from

See disfavor defined for English-language learners

Examples of disfavor in a Sentence

The current laws favor large businesses and disfavor smaller businesses.
a style of stage acting that is disfavored by most theatergoers today

Recent Examples of disfavor from the Web

Under the original Graham-Cassidy bill, the formula for the block grants was seen by some as disfavoring states that already expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Conservatives Plan to Take One Last Shot at Obamacare Repeal Before Midterms," 30 Apr. 2018
The election cycles of Western democracies, in contrast, tend to disfavor long-term strategic planning on foreign policy goals.

— margarita jaitner, Washington Post, "There’s more to Russia’s cyber interference than the Mueller probe suggests," 12 Mar. 2018
Among those higher principles is the Constitution’s blanket prohibition on favoring or disfavoring one religion over another.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "In the Travel-Ban Case, Supreme Court Seems Ready to Let Trump Be Trump," 25 Apr. 2018
The state violated the First Amendment, the challengers argue, by disfavoring some citizens on the basis of their political views.

— NBC News, "Supreme Court takes new look at partisan gerrymandering," 27 Mar. 2018
In its 69-page complaint authored by attorneys Jean-Marie Atamian and Jordan Sagalowsky of the law firm Mayer Brown, NASL stresses that U.S. Soccer has disfavored it from the start.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "How NASL's New Lawsuit vs. U.S. Soccer Compares, Contrasts to Federal One," 8 Feb. 2018
The state Supreme Court ruled January 22 that the current map is excessively partisan, amounting to a gerrymander intended to permanently disfavor Democrats.

— pete williams, NBC News, "Supreme Court won’t block new Pennsylvania congressional maps," 5 Feb. 2018
Antitrust exemptions generally are disfavored by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission, which enforce U.S. antitrust laws.

— brent kendall, WSJ, "News Publishers Team Up to Take On Facebook, Google," 10 July 2017
Last time, the judge issued a broader decision that said Mr. Trump likely committed a constitutional violation by disfavoring Muslims because of their religion.

— brent kendall, WSJ, "Federal Judge in Hawaii Blocks New Trump Travel Ban," 17 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of disfavor

1570

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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disfavor Synonyms

Synonyms

dislike, disrelish, mislike;

Antonyms

adore, cotton (to), delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, groove (on), like, love, relish, revel (in);

Near Antonyms

admire, appreciate, cherish, esteem, regard, respect;

adore, deify, idolize, revere, reverence, venerate, worship;

prize, treasure, value;

drink (in), savor (also savour);

dote (on), idolize;

favor, prefer;

condemn, despise, scorn;

cringe (at), disapprove (of), frown (on or upon), mind, object (to), shy (from or away from);

DISFAVOR Defined for English Language Learners

disfavor

noun

Definition of disfavor for English Language Learners

: a feeling of disapproval or dislike
: the condition of being disapproved of or disliked

disfavor

verb

Definition of disfavor for English Language Learners

: to disapprove of or dislike (someone or something)
: to make it more difficult for (a person, organization, etc.) to succeed or achieve something than it is for another person, organization, etc.