# favorite

/ˈfeɪvɝɪt/ (US) · /fˈeɪvəɹɪt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/favorite
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. preferred person or thing

noun · CEFR A1 · American English

the person or thing that you like the most out of a group.

For teachers: a person or thing regarded with special favour or preference above others.

- Out of all the ice cream flavors, chocolate is definitely my favorite.
- While the teacher tried to remain impartial, it was clear to the class that the hardworking student was her favorite.

### 2. expected winner

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

the person or team that people think is most likely to win a race or game.

For teachers: the competitor or contestant considered most likely to succeed or win.

- The local team is the favorite to win the championship this year.
- Despite being the heavy favorite in the polls, the candidate lost the election by a narrow margin.

### 3. most liked

adjective · CEFR A1 · American English

describes something that you like better than all others of the same kind.

For teachers: denoting a person or thing that is preferred above all others.

- She sat in her favorite chair by the window to read her book.
- The director returned to his favorite filming location in the desert to capture the final sequence of the movie.

### 4. to bookmark online

verb · CEFR B1 · American English · Informal

to mark a post, photo, or website so you can find it again later.

For teachers: to add a digital item to a list of preferred items on a social media platform or browser.

- I decided to favorite the recipe so I could cook it for dinner next week.
- Users can favorite specific articles to curate a personalized feed of technical documentation for future reference.

Usage: Often used as a transitive verb in the context of social media interfaces.

## Examples

- This blue shirt is my favorite.
- The teacher asked every student to name their favorite book during the first week of class.
- While the critic acknowledged the technical mastery of the entire gallery, he admitted that the small landscape in the corner remained his personal favorite.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.