favourable

English

Alternative forms

• favorable (US)

Etymology

From Middle English favourable, from Old French favorable, from Latin favōrābilis, from favor. By surface analysis, favour +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

favourable (comparative more favourable, superlative most favourable) (British spelling)

1. Apt to win favour; pleasing.

   Synonyms: good, pleasing

   Antonyms: bad, displeasing, unfavorable

   The candidate wearing the business suit made a favourable impression.

2. Expressing or indicating favour or goodwill; approving, encouraging.

   Synonyms: approving, encouraging, positive

   Antonyms: disapproving, discouraging, negative, unfavourable

   The proposal has received many favourable comments.

   • 1958 June, “First Battery Railcars on B.R.”, in Railway Magazine, page 419:

     The batteries were supplied by Chloride Batteries Limited, under favourable terms, and the stationary charging plants at Aberdeen and Ballater were similarly supplied by Bruce Peebles Limited.

3. Useful or helpful.

   Synonyms: advantageous, helpful, useful, propitious

   Antonyms: unfavourable, unhelpful

   We made quick progress, due to favourable winds.

   • 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IX”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

     So draw him home to those that mourn
     ⁠In vain; a favourable speed
     ⁠Ruffle thy mirror’d mast, and lead
     Thro’ prosperous floods his holy urn.

4. Convenient or at a suitable time; opportune.

   Synonyms: convenient, good, handy, opportune, suitable

   Antonyms: bad, inconvenient, inopportune, unfavourable, unsuitable

   The rain stopped at a favourable time for our tennis match.

5. Auspicious or lucky.

   Synonyms: auspicious, fortunate, lucky

   Antonyms: inauspicious, unfavourable, unlucky

   She says that she was born under a favourable star.

Derived terms

• disfavourable
• favourableness
• unfavourable

Related terms

• favour
• favourably
• favourite

Translations

pleasing

Bulgarian: прия́тен (bg) (prijáten) Catalan: favorable (ca) Czech: příznivý (cs) Danish: fordelagtig (da), positiv (da) Etruscan: 𐌚𐌀𐌂𐌀 (faca) Finnish: myönteinen (fi) French: favorable (fr) Galician: favorábel (gl) Georgian: მწყალობელი (mc̣q̇alobeli), კეთილგანწყობილი (ḳetilganc̣q̇obili) German: günstig (de), gut (de), gefällig (de) Hebrew: אָהוּד (he) m (ahúd) Hindi: अनुकूल (hi) (anukūl) Italian: favorevole (it) Latin: secundus (la) (for things), prosper (for things), commŏdus (for things) Maori: rorotu Middle English: favourable Polish: przychylny (pl), korzystny (pl), sprzyjający (pl) Portuguese: favorável (pt) Romanian: favorabil (ro) Russian: благоприя́тный (ru) (blagoprijátnyj), прия́тный (ru) (prijátnyj)

expressing or indicating favour or goodwill

German: zustimmend (de), ermutigend (de), beipflichtend (de), wohlgeneigt Greek: ευνοϊκός (el) (evnoïkós)

useful

Armenian: նպաստավոր (hy) (npastavor) Azerbaijani: əlverişli (az) Bulgarian: изгоден (bg) (izgoden) Catalan: favorable (ca) Czech: příznivý (cs) Danish: gunstig (da) Finnish: suotuisa (fi) French: favorable (fr) Galician: favorábel (gl) Georgian: სასარგებლო (sasargeblo), გამოსადეგი (gamosadegi), ვარგისი (vargisi), მარგებელი (margebeli) German: günstig (de) Greek: ευνοϊκός (el) (evnoïkós) Hindi: उपयोगी (hi) (upyogī) Hungarian: kedvező (hu) Italian: favorevole (it) Maori: rorotu Middle English: favourable Polish: sprzyjający (pl), korzystny (pl) Portuguese: favorável (pt) Romanian: favorabil (ro) Russian: благоприя́тный (ru) (blagoprijátnyj), благоприя́тствующий (ru) (blagoprijátstvujuščij) Ukrainian: сприя́тливий (spryjátlyvyj)

opportune

Armenian: նպաստավոր (hy) (npastavor) Azerbaijani: əlverişli (az) Bulgarian: благоприя́тен (bg) (blagoprijáten) Chinese: Mandarin: 好意 (zh) (hǎoyì), 順利 / 顺利 (zh) (shùnlì), 有利 (zh) (yǒulì) Danish: gunstig (da) Esperanto: favora (eo) Finnish: sopiva (fi) French: favorable (fr) Galician: favorábel (gl) Georgian: ხელსაყრელი (xelsaq̇reli), მოსახერხებელი (mosaxerxebeli), მარჯვე (marǯve) ((said of a moment)), დროული (drouli), მწყალობელი (mc̣q̇alobeli) German: günstig (de), passend (de) Italian: favorevole (it) Japanese: 順調な (ja) (じゅんちょうな, junchō na), 好調な (ja) (こうちょうな, kōchō na) Maori: rorotu Norwegian: Bokmål: gunstig Nynorsk: gunstig Polish: dogodny (pl) Portuguese: favorável (pt) Russian: благоприя́тный (ru) (blagoprijátnyj), удо́бный (ru) (udóbnyj), подходя́щий (ru) (podxodjáščij) Spanish: favorable (es) Telugu: అనుకూలమైన (te) (anukūlamaina), సానుకూలము (sānukūlamu) Ukrainian: сприя́тливий (spryjátlyvyj)

auspicious

Catalan: favorable (ca) Danish: lykke- Finnish: suotuisa (fi) French: favorable (fr) Galician: favorábel (gl) Georgian: ხელისშემწყობი (xelisšemc̣q̇obi), ხელსაყრელი (xelsaq̇reli), მოსახერხებელი (mosaxerxebeli) German: günstig (de) Italian: favorevole (it) Latin: faustus, propitius Ottoman Turkish: اوغورلو (uğurlu), میمون (maymun) Polish: szczęśliwy (pl) Portuguese: favorável (pt) Romanian: favorabil (ro) Russian: благоприя́тный (ru) (blagoprijátnyj) Turkish: uğurlu (tr)

Noun

favourable (plural favourables)

1. (plural only) Favourability ratings, percentage of people in favour.
   • 2020 October 17, Éric Grenier, “How U.S. polls got it wrong in 2016 — and why they're more likely to get it right this time”, in CBC‎:

     As of Friday, RealClearPolitics puts Biden's favourables at 51 per cent and his unfavourables at 44 per cent.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• faverable, favorabele, favorabil, favorable, ffaverable, ffavorable

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French favorable, from Latin favorabilis; equivalent to favour +‎ -able.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌfaːvuˈraːbəl/, /ˌfaːvuˈraːblə/

Adjective

favourable

1. benevolent, well-disposed
2. biased, prejudiced
3. pleasing, attractive
4. (rare) beneficial, favourable

Descendants

• English: favourable, favorable

References

• “fāvǒurāble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.