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
This favoritism is driven by legacy preferences, athletic recruitment and nonacademic ratings that reward expensive resume-building, yet elite universities remain reluctant to change these practices.
—
Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
The Voting Rights Act was not racial favoritism.
—
Natashia Deon,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
This favoritism is driven by legacy preferences, athletic recruitment and nonacademic ratings that reward expensive resume-building, yet elite universities remain reluctant to change these practices.
—
Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
And the startup’s founder told reporters that his company, Vulcan Elements, received no political favoritism.
—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Mercury News,
4 June 2026
The Voting Rights Act was not racial favoritism.
—
Natashia Deon,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
This favoritism is driven by legacy preferences, athletic recruitment and nonacademic ratings that reward expensive resume-building, yet elite universities remain reluctant to change these practices.
—
Prasad Krishnamurthy,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
And the startup’s founder told reporters that his company, Vulcan Elements, received no political favoritism.
—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favoritism
Noun
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An agent that knows us this well can draw on behavioral science—the same biases and triggers that have always influenced human decisions—to observe, understand, and either serve or manipulate us.
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At the same time, relying on intuition alone can introduce bias and blind spots.
Noun
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Hatcher — a Pomo shape-shifter who dodges prejudice by passing as Mexican in the novel — is a thorny protagonist, often cunning, scheming and unforgiving.
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The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that Sorsby cannot simply refile the suit and resume his college eligibility battle.
Noun
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Where does one look for models if élites and powerful decision-makers seem to have ascended through nepotism or greed rather than through merit?
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James hears the nepotism claims.
Noun
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While no rules were broken, the revelations conflicted with Starmer’s portrayal of himself as an antidote to the cronyism displayed by successive Conservative leaders.
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And to society, the implications of such blatant cronyism could be sweeping, from atrophying regulation and loss of accountability to further concentration of power and money among the wealthiest people on Earth.
Cite this Entry
“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favoritism. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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