# favoritism

/ˈfeɪvɝɪˌtɪzəm/ (US) · /fˈeɪvəɹɪtˌɪzəm/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/favoritism
Updated: 2026-05-31

## Definition

the act of giving unfair support or better treatment to one person or group over others.

For teachers: the practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.

## Examples

- The manager was accused of favoritism toward his friends.
- Teachers must be careful to avoid any appearance of favoritism when grading the final projects of their students.
- The company's promotion policy was designed to eliminate favoritism by requiring objective performance metrics rather than relying on personal recommendations from senior leadership.

## Usage notes

- Often paired with the preposition 'toward' or 'towards'.

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