Favorable — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl/ fa·vor·able

Meaning & Definition of Favorable

Favorable (adjective)

  1. disposed to favor, partial
  2. expressing approval, commendatory
  3. giving a result that is in one's favor

Favorable (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. expressing approval

    "favorable reviews for the movie were few"

    similar: admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, friendly, good, positive
    related: accepting, warm, encomiastic, eulogistic, flattering, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, respectful, supportive, sympathetic, adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping, advisory, recommendatory
    opposite: adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly
    near: captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting

  2. pointing toward a happy outcome

    "favorable economic conditions for opening a new business"

    similar: auspicious, bright, encouraging, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious
    related: fortunate, fortuitous, happy, lucky, providential, advantageous, beneficial, profitable, prosperous, salutary
    opposite: dim, discouraging, disheartening, futureless, hopeless, inauspicious, unfavorable, unpromising, unpropitious
    near: unfortunate, unhappy, unlucky, calamitous, catastrophic, disastrous, fatal, ruinous, baleful, dark, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, gloomy, ill, ill-boding, menacing, minatory, ominous, portentous, sinister, threatening

  3. promoting or contributing to personal or social well-being

    "moved to a region with a milder climate in the hope that it would be more favorable to his health"

    similar: advantageous, benefic, beneficent, beneficial, benignant, friendly, good, helpful, kindly, profitable, salutary
    related: gratifying, rewarding, satisfying, auspicious, promising, propitious, advisable, desirable, healthful, healthy, salubrious, salutiferous, wholesome, gainful, lucrative, remunerative, ameliorative, amelioratory, bettering, constructive, supportive
    opposite: bad, disadvantageous, unfavorable, unfriendly, unhelpful, unprofitable
    near: damaging, deleterious, harmful, injurious, insalubrious

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Favorable

The most common words with a similar meaning to Favorable:

admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, friendly, good, positive, auspicious, bright, encouraging, golden, heartening, hopeful, promising, propitious, advantageous, benefic, beneficent, beneficial, benignant, helpful, kindly, profitable, salutary

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Favorable

Words with the opposite meaning of Favorable:

adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative, unappreciative, uncomplimentary, unfavorable, unflattering, unfriendly, dim, discouraging, disheartening, futureless, hopeless, inauspicious, unpromising, unpropitious, bad, disadvantageous, unhelpful, unprofitable

Related Words for Favorable

accepting, warm, encomiastic, eulogistic, flattering, hagiographic, laudative, laudatory, panegyrical, praiseful, respectful, supportive, sympathetic, adoring, adulatory, idolizing, worshipful, worshipping, advisory, recommendatory, fortunate, fortuitous, happy, lucky, providential, prosperous, gratifying, rewarding, satisfying, advisable

Near Antonyms of Favorable

captious, carping, caviling, censuring, critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical, belittling, contemptuous, disdainful, disparaging, scornful, slighting, unfortunate, unhappy, unlucky, calamitous, catastrophic, disastrous, fatal, ruinous, baleful, dark, dire, direful, doomy, foreboding, gloomy, ill

Word Forms of Favorable

Derived words: favorability (noun), favorableness (noun), favorably (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Favorable

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Favorable

Frequently Asked Questions about Favorable

What does "Favorable" mean?

"Favorable" means disposed to favor, partial. As an adjective, it is defined as: disposed to favor, partial. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Favorable"?

Other words for "Favorable" include admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary and friendly. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Favorable" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Favorable"?

There are 70 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Favorable". Common alternatives include admiring, applauding, appreciative, approbatory, approving, commendatory, complimentary, friendly, good and positive.

What is the opposite of "Favorable"?

Antonyms of "Favorable" include adverse, depreciative, depreciatory, derogatory, disapproving, inappreciative, negative and unappreciative. Near antonyms include captious, carping, caviling and censuring.

How do you use "Favorable" in a sentence?

Examples of "Favorable" in a sentence: "favorable reviews for the movie were few"; "favorable economic conditions for opening a new business"; "moved to a region with a milder climate in the hope that it would be more favorable to his health".

Is "Favorable" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Favorable" is an adjective.

Is "Favorable" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Favorable" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Favorable"?

"Favorable" is pronounced /ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl/ and divided into syllables as fa·vor·able.