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Added 9 October 2026

favourite

/ˈfeɪv.ɹɪt/ noun

Latin root: favor Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about favourite at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A competitor thought likely to win.
A special loved one.
Something regarded with special favor or liking.
that book is one of my favorites

adjective

Appealing to the general public.
a favorite tourist attraction
Preferred above all others and treated with partiality.
the favored child

Origin

Attested from the 1580s, borrowed from Middle French favorit, from Old French favorit or Italian favorito (“favoured, favourite”), past participle of Italian favorire (“to favor”), from favore, from Latin favor (“good will, favor”), from the verb faveō (“to favour”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Doublet of favori.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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