favorable

play

adjective fa·vor·able \ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl, ˈfā-vər-bəl\

Definition of favorable

1a : disposed to favor : partial taking a favorable attitude toward our requestb : expressing approval : commendatory The movie received a favorable review.c : giving a result that is in one's favor a favorable comparisond : affirmative a favorable reply
2 : winning approval : pleasing a favorable impression
3a : tending to promote or facilitate : advantageous a favorable windb : marked by success a favorable demonstration of a new invention

favorability

play \ˌfā-v(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē, ˌfā-vər-\ noun

favorableness

noun

favorably

play \ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-blē, ˈfā-vər-blē\ adverb

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See favorable defined for kids

Examples of favorable in a Sentence

The new play got many favorable reviews.
He was given a favorable recommendation.
Early test results were favorable.

Recent Examples of favorable from the Web

In successfully slowing down the rallies, Federer was able to combat Čilić’s heavy hitting with slice and spin, taking advantage of the already damp conditions, which helped keep the pace favorable against an aggressive, offensive baseliner.

— arnav adhikari, The Atlantic, "Federer’s Wimbledon Win Was Anything but Nostalgic," 17 July 2017
Republicans also have a more favorable view of banks and financial institutions (46 percent) than Democrats (33 percent).

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "Majority Of Republicans Think College Is Bad For America. We're Not Kidding.," 11 July 2017
In upgrading his forecast, Phil Klotzbach at Colorado State, heir to the forecast dominion of the late William M. Gray, cited favorable conditions in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

— anthony r. wood, Philly.com, "Tropical-storm outlook upgraded; traffic brisker than expected," 5 July 2017
The Boise memory-chip maker credited favorable market conditions — including higher prices for dynamic random-access memory, one of Micron’s core products — and effective cost-reduction efforts.

— david staats, idahostatesman, "The cloud is raining record revenue on Micron. Can it last? Here’s what Micron thinks," 29 June 2017
This savings is a result of leveraging the buying power of our city to negotiate favorable energy prices in the private energy sector.

— Cincinnati.com, "Column: Join club that will save you money," 28 June 2017
Other Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, have cherry-picked the analysis, highlighting more favorable projections on deficit reduction and premiums while disputing the rest.

— russell berman, The Atlantic, "Senate Bill Would Leave 22 Million More Uninsured, CBO Finds," 26 June 2017
Brown said she was offered a deal: Vote with Republicans or get stuck with the less-favorable map.

— david a. lieb, chicagotribune.com, "Partisan gerrymandering allows GOP to widen its grip on power, AP analysis finds," 25 June 2017
Kennedy’s record was given a more than favorable review by Pitchfork when it was released in April, and Kennedy was signed early to Pampa Records.

— dayna evans, The Cut, "Sophia Kennedy Made the Best Pop Record You’ve Probably Never Heard Of," 23 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of favorable

see ¹favor

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First Known Use: 14th century

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Synonym Discussion of favorable

favorable, auspicious, propitious mean pointing toward a happy outcome. favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous. favorable weather conditions auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event. an auspicious beginning propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition. a propitious time for starting a business