Favoring

fa·vor  (fvr)

n.

1. A gracious, friendly, or obliging act that is freely granted: do someone a favor.

2.

a. Friendly or favorable regard; approval or support: won the favor of the monarch; looked with favor on the plan.

b. A state of being held in such regard: a style currently in favor.

3. Unfair partiality; favoritism.

4.

a. A privilege or concession.

b. favors Sexual privileges, especially as granted by a woman.

5.

a. Something given as a token of love, affection, or remembrance.

b. A small decorative gift given to each guest at a party.

6. Advantage; benefit: sailed under favor of cloudless skies.

7. Behalf; interest: an error in our favor.

8. Obsolete A communication, especially a letter.

9. Archaic

a. Aspect or appearance.

b. Countenance; face.

10. Obsolete A facial feature.

v. fa·vored, fa·vor·ing, fa·vors

v.tr.

1. To perform a kindness or service for; oblige. See Synonyms at oblige.

2. To treat or regard with friendship, approval, or support.

3. To be partial to; indulge a liking for: favors bright colors.

4. To be or tend to be in support of.

5. To make easier or more possible; facilitate: Darkness favored their escape.

6. To treat with care; be gentle with: favored my wounded leg.

7. Chiefly Southern U.S. To resemble in appearance: She favors her father.

v.intr. Chiefly Southern U.S.

To resemble another in appearance: She and her father favor.

Idiom:

in favor of

1. In support of; approving: We are in favor of her promotion to president.

2. To the advantage of: The court decided in favor of the plaintiff.

3. Inscribed or made out to the benefit of: a check in favor of a charity.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, from favre, to be favorable.]

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favor·er n.

favor·ing·ly adv.

Regional Note: When a Southerner favors a relative, he or she is not giving that person special privileges; rather, the Southerner looks like that relative. Favor can be either transitiveShe favors her fatheror intransitive with a compound subject: She and her father favor. This sense of favor goes back to early modern English: "This young lord Chamont/Favors my mother" (Ben Jonson). The verb derives from the noun favor, which was used from the 15th to the 19th century to mean "appearance, aspect; the countenance, face": "What makes thy favor like the bloodless head/Fall'n on the block?" (Tennyson). This sense of the noun is now archaic, but the verb thrives in the English of the Southern United States.