favor

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A helpful act that you do for someone.

   Could you do me a favor and water my plants while I'm away?

2. 2
   noun

   Approval or support for someone or something.

   The new policy quickly fell out of favor with the public.

3. 3
   verb

   To prefer or support one person or thing over another.

   The teacher seemed to favor the older students.

4. 4
   noun

   An advantage that benefits someone.

   The final score was in our favor.

Common collocations

• big favor Adjective + noun
• great favor Adjective + noun
• ask a favor Verb + noun
• do a favor Verb + noun
• personal favor Adjective + noun
• return a favor Verb + noun
• grant a favor Verb + noun

From Middle English favour, favor, faver, from Anglo-Norman favour, from mainland Old French favor, from Latin favor (“good will; kindness; partiality”), from faveō (“to be kind to”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂weh₁yeti (“to be favourable to”), from the root Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to shine, glow light”). Respelled in American English to more closely match its Latin etymon. Compare also Danish favør (“favor”), Irish fabhar (“favor”), from the same Romance source.

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