Meanings
plural favouritisms · alternative US favoritism
- countableuncountableThe unfair favouring of one person or group at the expense of another.
Heidi Alexander has experience of London. As Transport Secretary, she will also be under pressure not to show favouritism to the capital.
2024 December 27, Tom Edwards, “Network News: Can success in the capital transfer to the wider stage?”, in RAIL, number 1025, page 19
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan inclination to favor some person or group
noununfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰuH-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰh₂weh₁yetider.?
- Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰew-der.?
- Latinfaveō
- Latinfavor
- Italianfavore
- Italianfavorire
- Italianfavorito
- Old Frenchfavorit
- Italianfavorito
- Middle Frenchfavorit
- Englishfavourit(e)
- Englishfavouritism
From favourit(e) + -ism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَفْضِيل
- تَفْضِيل (tafḍīl)unfair favouring
Catalan favoritisme
- favoritismeunfair favouring
Chinese Mandarin 偏愛 /偏爱, 得寵 /得宠
- 偏愛 /偏爱 (piān'ài)unfair favouring
- 得寵 /得宠 (déchǒng)unfair favouring
- 偏袒 (piāntǎn)unfair favouring
Czech protekce, nadržování
- protekceunfair favouring
- nadržováníunfair favouring
Dutch favoritisme, vriendjespolitiek
- favoritismeunfair favouring
- vriendjespolitiekunfair favouring
Finnish suosinta
- suosintaunfair favouring
French favoritisme
- favoritismeunfair favouring
German Günstlingswirtschaft, Vetternwirtschaft
- Günstlingswirtschaftunfair favouring
- Vetternwirtschaftunfair favouring
Greek ευνοιοκρατία, φαβοριτισμός
- ευνοιοκρατία (evnoiokratía)unfair favouring
- φαβοριτισμός (favoritismós)unfair favouring
Indonesian pilih kasih
- pilih kasihunfair favouring
Irish fabhraíocht, fabhar
- fabhraíochtunfair favouring
- fabharunfair favouring
Italian favoritismo
- favoritismounfair favouring
Māori mariutanga
- mariutangaunfair favouring
Polish faworyzowanie
- faworyzowanieunfair favouring
Portuguese favoritismo
- favoritismounfair favouring
Romanian favoritism
- favoritismunfair favouring
Russian фаворити́зм, кумовство́
- фаворити́зм (favoritízm)unfair favouring
- кумовство́ (kumovstvó)unfair favouring
Spanish favoritismo
- favoritismounfair favouring
Swedish favorisering
- favoriseringunfair favouring
Tagalog paboritismo
- paboritismounfair favouring
Turkish adam kayırmacılık
- adam kayırmacılıkunfair favouring
Welsh ffafriaeth
- ffafriaethunfair favouring
Cite this entry
favouritism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favouritism
“favouritism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favouritism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “favouritism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/favouritism.
Source: favouritism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.