[syn: privilege, favor, favour]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
favor \fa"vor\ (f[=a]"v[~e]r), n. [Written also favour.] [OF.
favor, F. faveur, L. favor, fr. favere to be favorable, cf.
Skr. bh[=a]vaya to further, foster, causative of bh[=u] to
become, be. Cf. Be. In the phrase to curry favor, favor is
prob. for favel a horse. See 2d Favel.]
1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly
disposition; kindness; good will.
[1913 Webster]
Hath crawled into the favor of the king. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being
countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support;
promotion; befriending.
[1913 Webster]
But found no favor in his lady's eyes. --Dryden.
[1913 Webster]
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in
favor with God and man. --Luke ii. 52.
[1913 Webster]
3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted;
benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good
will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
[1913 Webster]
Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
[1913 Webster]
I could not discover the lenity and favor of this
sentence. --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
[1913 Webster]
All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man,
His chief delight and favor. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
6. A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of
good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something
worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a
bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a
wedding.
[1913 Webster]
Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy
cap. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
This boy is fair, of female favor. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
8. (Law) Partiality; bias. --Bouvier.
[1913 Webster]
9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or
compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
[1913 Webster]
10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.] --Wright.
[1913 Webster]
Challenge to the favor or Challenge for favor (Law), the
challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to
constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give
rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as
acquaintance, business relation, etc. See Principal
challenge, under Challenge.
In favor of, upon the side of; favorable to; for the
advantage of.
In favor with, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by.
To curry favor [see the etymology of Favor, above], to
seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or
officious civilities.
With one's favor, or By one's favor, with leave; by kind
permission.
[1913 Webster]
But, with your favor, I will treat it here.
--Dryden.
Syn: Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity;
grace; gift; present; benefit.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Favor \Fa"vor\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Favored (f[=a]"v[~e]rd);
p. pr. & vb. n. Favoring.] [Written also favour.] [Cf. OF.
favorer, favorir. See Favor, n.]
1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid, or to have
the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be
propitious to; to treat with consideration or tenderness;
to show partiality or unfair bias towards.
[1913 Webster]
O happy youth! and favored of the skies. --Pope.
[1913 Webster]
He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab.
--2 Sam. xx.
11.
[1913 Webster]
[The painter] has favored her squint admirably.
--Swift.
[1913 Webster]
2. To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a
weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.
[1913 Webster]
3. To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of;
as, the child favors his father.
[1913 Webster]
The porter owned that the gentleman favored his
master. --Spectator.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
favor
n 1: an act of gracious kindness [syn: favor, favour]
2: an advantage to the benefit of someone or something; "the
outcome was in his favor" [syn: favor, favour]
3: an inclination to approve; "that style is in favor this
season" [syn: favor, favour]
4: a feeling of favorable regard [syn: favor, favour]
5: souvenir consisting of a small gift given to a guest at a
party [syn: party favor, party favour, favor, favour]
v 1: promote over another; "he favors his second daughter" [syn:
prefer, favor, favour]
2: consider as the favorite; "The local team was favored" [syn:
favor, favour]
3: treat gently or carefully [syn: favor, favour]
4: bestow a privilege upon [syn: privilege, favor, favour]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
561 Moby Thesaurus words for "favor":
OK, abet, abetment, accept, acceptance, accommodate,
accomplishment, accord respect to, account, acculturate,
acknowledgment, act of courtesy, act of grace, act of kindness,
adherence, admiration, admire, adopt, adoration, adore, advance,
advantage, advocacy, advocate, aegis, affinity, aid, aid and abet,
aim at, air, ameliorate, amend, amenity, an in, answer, ape,
apotheosis, apotheosize, appear like, appreciate, appreciation,
approach, approbation, approval, approve, approve of, approximate,
ascendancy, assist, assistance, attention, auspices, authority,
avail, awe, baby, back, backing, bad books, bag, bail out,
be desirous of, be like, be partial to, be redolent of,
bear a hand, bear resemblance, bearing, befriend, behind,
benediction, benefaction, benefit, benevolence, benignity, bent,
better, bias, billet, blank check, bless, blessing, boon, boost,
break no bones, breathless adoration, bring forward, bring to mind,
brow, business letter, call to mind, call up, care, carriage,
carte blanche, cast, cast of countenance, cater to, champion,
championship, charisma, charity, charm, chit, choose,
choose rather, chosen kind, civility, civilize, clemency, clout,
coddle, color, come close, come near, comfort, commemoration,
commiseration, communication, compare with, compassion, complexion,
compliment, condolence, conduce to, consequence, consideration,
contribute to, control, convenience, cooperation, copy, copyright,
correspond, cosset, countenance, counterfeit, courtesy, credit,
cup of tea, deanship, defer to, deference, deification, deify,
demeanor, desiderate, desire, dial, discriminate, dispatch,
dispensation, disposition, do a favor, do a service, do good,
do no harm, do right by, doctor, dominance, domination, drag,
druthers, duty, ease, edify, educate, effect, elect, elevate,
emend, eminence, enchantment, encourage, encouragement, endorse,
endorsement, enhance, enlighten, enrich, entertain respect for,
epistle, espouse, esteem, estimation, evoke, exaggerated respect,
exalt, excellence, expedite, face, facial appearance, facies,
facilitate, fancy, fascination, fatten, favorable regard,
favorable vote, favoritism, feature, features, feeling,
fellow feeling, follow, for, forbearance, force, forgiveness,
forward, foster, fosterage, franchise, freedom, friendly relations,
further, garb, gesture, give a boost, give a hand, give a lift,
give help, give way to, go for, go in for, go straight, good deed,
good feeling, good graces, good offices, good terms, good turn,
good understanding, goodwill, grace, graceful gesture, grant,
gratify, great respect, greatness, guidance, guise, harmony,
hasten, have a bias, have designs on, have preference, have rather,
hearten, help, hero worship, hero-worship, high regard, hold,
hold in esteem, hold in reverence, hold with, homage, honor,
honor before, humanity, humor, idolatry, idolization, idolize,
imitate, immunity, importance, improve, improve upon, in back of,
in favor of, in support of, incidental power, inclination,
incomparability, indulge, indulgence, influence, influentiality,
inimitability, inside track, insinuation, interest,
keep in countenance, keepsake, kind deed, kind offices, kindly act,
kindness, kisser, labor of love, lard, largess, lead, leadership,
lean towards, leaning, lend a hand, lend one aid, lend wings to,
leniency, letter, leverage, liberty, license, lift, like,
like better, line, lineaments, lines, look like, look up to, looks,
love, lust, lust after, magnetism, majority, make an improvement,
make for, manna, map, mastery, match, meliorate, memento,
memento mori, memorabilia, memorial, memorials, memories, mend,
mercy, message, mien, mimic, mirror, missive, mitigation, mitzvah,
mollycoddle, moment, mug, mush, mutual affinity, mutual attraction,
mutual regard, near, nearly reproduce, nod, not tell apart, note,
nurture, obligation, oblige, office, one-upmanship, opinion,
opt for, pamper, pan, parallel, pardon, partake of, partiality,
particular choice, patent, pathos, patronage, penchant,
personal choice, personality, persuasion, phiz, physiognomy, pity,
play favorites, please, polite act, port, posture, potency, power,
precedence, predilection, predisposition, predominance,
predomination, preeminence, prefer, prefer to, preference,
prejudice, preponderance, prepossession, prepotence, prepotency,
prerogative, presence, present, pressure, prestige, priority,
privilege, prize, pro, proclivity, proffer aid, profit, promote,
propensity, protect, pull, purchase, push forward, puss,
put forward, quarter, quicken, raise, rally, rapport, rather,
reclaim, recommend, redeem, refine upon, reform, regard, reign,
relic, relief, relieve, remedy, remembrance, remembrancer,
remind one of, render assistance, reply, reprieve, repute,
rescript, rescue, resemble, respect, restore, resuscitate, revere,
reverence, reverential regard, revive, right-of-way, rule, ruth,
sanction, satisfy, save, savor of, say, seal of approval,
seconding, see fit, seem like, select, self-pity, seniority, serve,
service, set before, set forward, set up, shine upon,
show kindness to, show preference, side with, simulate, single out,
skill, smack of, smile upon, socialize, sound like, souvenir,
special favor, speed, spoil, sponsor, sponsorship, stack up with,
stamp of approval, stance, straighten out, style, suasion,
subscribe, subtle influence, success, succor, suction, suggest,
suggestion, superiority, support, supremacy, sway, sympathy,
take after, take in tow, take kindly to, take to, taste, tendency,
thing, think best, think fit, think highly of, think much of,
think proper, think well of, token, token of remembrance, traits,
transcendence, transcendency, transfigure, transform,
treat unequally, treat well, trophy, turn, tutelage, type, upgrade,
uphold, uplift, upper hand, urbanity, value, venerate, veneration,
view, view with favor, virtuosity, visage, voice, vote, want,
warrant, weight, whip hand, wish, wish to goodness, wish very much,
worship, worth, would fain do, yea, yea vote, yield to
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856):
FAVOR. Bias partiality; lenity; prejudice.
2. The grand jury are sworn to inquire into all offences which have
been committed, and of all violations of law, without fear, favor, or
affection. Vide Grand Jury. When a juror is influenced by bias or prejudice,
so that there is not sufficient ground for a principal challenge, he may
nevertheless be challenged for favor. Vide Challenge, and Bac. Ab. Juries,
E; Dig. 50, 17, 156, 4; 7 Pet. R. 160.