Favour

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An act of kindness or support shown to someone ; a preference or advantage granted to a person or thing ; a formal approval or endorsement given to an action or idea
2. A helpful or kind gesture done for the benefit of another ; a bias or special treatment in favor of one option ; an official sanction or backing from an authority
3. Supportive or considerate behavior toward others ; an advantage or privilege provided through preference ; a formal agreement or consent given for a proposal or plan

Etymology: The English noun "favour" arrived by way of Anglo-Norman and Old French from the Latin "favor", which meant "good will" or "partiality", and it carried the sense of a kind act long before it came to mean a personal preference. Its Latin source, "faveō", meant "to be kind to" or "to be favourable to", a verb that goes back to a much older root meaning "to shine" or "to glow". The idea was of something bright and warm turned toward you, a notion that the English word inherited through the Middle English forms "favour", "favor" and "faver". The American spelling "favor" is the older-looking form in one sense: American English restored the "-or" ending to match the Latin spelling more closely, while British English kept the "-our" spelling that came through Old French. Both spellings descend from the same Latin word, so the difference is one of later choice rather than separate histories.

Synonyms: favor, support

Antonyms: disfavor, opposition