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
However, the other two members wound up suing Beyoncé and Kelly, claiming that being managed by Beyoncé's dad Mathew led to favoritism within the group.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Stephen Adamus is the harshest critic of them, having sued Prang and alleging favoritism by Prang.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Reality, in the form of age and favoritism, says Sieler, the 2024 team MVP, is a bit of an outsider.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Still, Chief Wallabee, who is owned by Michael and Katherine Ball, has shown enough promise to merit favoritism — and possibly get Mott into the Florida Derby winner’s circle for the first time.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Stephen Adamus is the harshest critic of them, having sued Prang and alleging favoritism by Prang.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Reality, in the form of age and favoritism, says Sieler, the 2024 team MVP, is a bit of an outsider.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Still, Chief Wallabee, who is owned by Michael and Katherine Ball, has shown enough promise to merit favoritism — and possibly get Mott into the Florida Derby winner’s circle for the first time.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favoritism
Noun
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In this eight part documentary series, co-hosts John Biewen and Chenjerai Kumanyika explore the roots of today’s ongoing media crisis – the splintering of news audiences, the widespread perception of bias, and the deluge of misinformation – by delving through stories from the past and the present.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
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Immediately after the event, the official advised against hiring Gorka because his teachings potentially violated department principles against bias in training.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Maybe only 22 percent of Americans would readily accept Homelander as their one true God, but his vision might also appeal to those Christians whose fanatic prejudices outweigh any specific loyalty to the Bible and its lessons in compassion.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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According to the World Health Organization, ageism is the most widespread — and socially accepted — form of prejudice today.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Employee referral programs consistently produce higher-quality hires, not because of nepotism, but because people rarely recommend someone who will embarrass them.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
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Having kids in the entertainment industry, Tom offered his insight regarding an ongoing dialogue about Hollywood nepotism babies in January 2023.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These swift moves from Magyar reflect his promise to sweep away the corruption, cronyism and Kremlin allyship that European officials and watchdogs say plagued Orbán's Hungary.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
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Political players’ seeking to manipulate the game with cronyism or nepotism is no way to regain the public trust.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favoritism. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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