as in bias
the unfair practice of treating some people better than others
The favoritism of the boss led to many disgruntled employees. He accused the teacher of showing favoritism in assigning grades.
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Recent Examples of favoritism
Following the money Hinojosa and Bell have tied Abbott’s private-school voucher push to a broader argument about favoritism, arguing the program steers public dollars to mostly Christian schools while benefiting wealthy contributors.
—
Karen Brooks Harper, Dallas Morning News, 10 Jan. 2026
According to a new article by The New York Times, parenting favoritism is common across all types of families.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
The letter details other claims of favoritism and disregard for recent board directives to curb spending, like attempting to hire for vacant positions and authorizing overtime expenditures despite the hiring and overtime freeze enacted in the board approved fiscal solvency plan.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Though some members of Congress have expressed concerns about Isaacman's relationship with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, citing the potential for bias or favoritism, Isaacman's nomination has been favorably received by much of the space community.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Karen Brooks Harper, Dallas Morning News, 10 Jan. 2026
According to a new article by The New York Times, parenting favoritism is common across all types of families.
—Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
The letter details other claims of favoritism and disregard for recent board directives to curb spending, like attempting to hire for vacant positions and authorizing overtime expenditures despite the hiring and overtime freeze enacted in the board approved fiscal solvency plan.
—Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Though some members of Congress have expressed concerns about Isaacman's relationship with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, citing the potential for bias or favoritism, Isaacman's nomination has been favorably received by much of the space community.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favoritism
Noun
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But there are still all sorts of offline implications to ditching interpersonal interactions in favor of platforms prone to cognitive biases.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
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That’s backed by minor-league data, in addition to a general sense that the emotional bias of pitchers clouds their objectivity.—
Aaron Gleeman,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The judge dismissed the charges with prejudice, meaning that the case cannot be retried.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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Male medical professionals then, having read Hippocrates, knew the basics about how menstruation worked, yet superstition, prejudice, and misinformation circulated largely unchecked.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Multiple members of the public criticized the appointment, alleging nepotism.—
Evy Lewis,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
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There were accusations of nepotism made when your son, Charlie, was appointed co-head of Vantage.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But controversial government efforts to redress inequalities have been plagued by corruption and cronyism.—
Michael H Gavshon,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
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Donlon’s lawsuit was just one of several complaints brought by veteran police officials who alleged a culture of rampant corruption and cronyism within the agency during Adams' time as mayor.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favoritism. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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