favorable
adjective
fa·vor·able ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-bəl 
ˈfā-vər-bəl
1
a
: disposed to favor : partial
taking a favorable attitude toward our request
b
: expressing approval : commendatory
The movie received a favorable review.
c
: giving a result that is in one's favor
a favorable comparison
d
: affirmative
a favorable reply
2
: winning approval : pleasing
a favorable impression
3
a
: tending to promote or facilitate : advantageous
a favorable wind
b
: marked by success
a favorable demonstration of a new invention
favorability
ˌfā-v(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē
noun ˌfā-vər-
favorableness noun
favorably
ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-blē
adverb ˈfā-vər-blē
Synonyms
- admiring
- applauding
- appreciative
- approbatory
- approving
- commendatory
- complimentary
- friendly
- good
- positive
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The new play got many favorable reviews. He was given a favorable recommendation. Early test results were favorable.
Recent Examples on the Web The House investigation dates February 2019, when Trump’s former personal attorney, Cohen, testified to the committee that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits. 
Kevin Freking, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2022 The House investigation dates February 2019, when Trump’s former personal attorney, Cohen, testified to the committee that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits. Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Even while the site has become a must-follow source for Florida political obsessives, some have raised questions about whether Schorsch’s approach qualifies as journalism; he has been accused of giving favorable coverage to ad buyers. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 And Graham made at least two phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and members of his staff, looking to reexamine absentee ballots for a potentially more favorable Trump outcome, according to court documents. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 6 July 2022 And even after adjusting for confidential rebates that drugmakers pay for favorable insurance coverage and changes in the characteristics of individual medicines, prices rose by 11% each year. Ed Silverman, STAT, 13 June 2022 Medicare and Medicaid - pay enough attention to consistently provide them with favorable coverage? Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 1 May 2022 Supporters hope that a favorable outcome could set a new precedent for how activists are treated under the law. Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2022 Not just Putin but also several other villains of this book once received rather favorable coverage in the Western media, including from the author himself. Krithika Varagur, The New Republic, 11 Apr. 2022 See More
Kevin Freking, Fortune, 1 Sep. 2022 The House investigation dates February 2019, when Trump’s former personal attorney, Cohen, testified to the committee that Trump had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits. Kevin Freking, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2022 Even while the site has become a must-follow source for Florida political obsessives, some have raised questions about whether Schorsch’s approach qualifies as journalism; he has been accused of giving favorable coverage to ad buyers. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2022 And Graham made at least two phone calls to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and members of his staff, looking to reexamine absentee ballots for a potentially more favorable Trump outcome, according to court documents. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 6 July 2022 And even after adjusting for confidential rebates that drugmakers pay for favorable insurance coverage and changes in the characteristics of individual medicines, prices rose by 11% each year. Ed Silverman, STAT, 13 June 2022 Medicare and Medicaid - pay enough attention to consistently provide them with favorable coverage? Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 1 May 2022 Supporters hope that a favorable outcome could set a new precedent for how activists are treated under the law. Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2022 Not just Putin but also several other villains of this book once received rather favorable coverage in the Western media, including from the author himself. Krithika Varagur, The New Republic, 11 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
see favor entry 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
favorable
adjective
fa·vor·able ˈfā-və-rə-bəl
ˈfāv-rə-
1
: showing approval
a favorable opinion
2
: tending to help
favorable weather
favorable
adjective
1
as in positive
expressing approval favorable reviews for the movie were few Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- positive
- good
- approving
- appreciative
- friendly
- complimentary
- supportive
- commendatory
- admiring
- approbatory
- applauding
- accepting
- warm
- praiseful
- sympathetic
- laudatory
- flattering
- respectful
- eulogistic
- hagiographic
- worshipful
- encomiastic
- laudative
- panegyrical
- adulatory
- adoring
- advisory
- recommendatory
- hagiographical
- worshipping
- idolizing
- worshiping
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unfavorable
- adverse
- negative
- unfriendly
- unflattering
- uncomplimentary
- derogatory
- disapproving
- depreciatory
- depreciative
- unappreciative
- critical
- inappreciative
- captious
- hypercritical
- overcritical
- censuring
- disparaging
- contemptuous
- faultfinding
- disdainful
- scornful
- slighting
- cavilling
- carping
- caviling
- belittling
2
as in promising
pointing toward a happy outcome favorable economic conditions for opening a new business Synonyms & Similar Words
- promising
- encouraging
- bright
- happy
- hopeful
- propitious
- beneficial
- auspicious
- advantageous
- lucky
- golden
- profitable
- fortunate
- fortuitous
- heartening
- prosperous
- providential
- salutary
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unfavorable
- discouraging
- unpropitious
- inauspicious
- unpromising
- dim
- hopeless
- unfortunate
- disheartening
- unhappy
- unlucky
- disastrous
- fatal
- catastrophic
- ruinous
- calamitous
- futureless
- ominous
- dark
- threatening
- gloomy
- ill
- sinister
- dire
- menacing
- portentous
- direful
- baleful
- foreboding
- minatory
- doomy
- ill-boding
3
as in beneficial
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 Synonyms & Similar Words
- beneficial
- helpful
- good
- advantageous
- profitable
- satisfying
- friendly
- desirable
- beneficent
- salutary
- benignant
- kindly
- lucrative
- propitious
- benefic
- promising
- gratifying
- auspicious
- rewarding
- supportive
- healthy
- healthful
- advisable
- constructive
- wholesome
- salubrious
- gainful
- remunerative
- bettering
- ameliorative
- amelioratory
- salutiferous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unfavorable
- bad
- disadvantageous
- unfriendly
- unprofitable
- unhelpful
- harmful
- injurious
- deleterious
- damaging
- insalubrious
Synonym Chooser
The words auspicious and propitious are common synonyms of favorable. While all three words mean "pointing toward a happy outcome," favorable implies that the persons involved are approving or helpful or that the circumstances are advantageous.
favorable weather conditions
In some situations, the words auspicious and favorable are roughly equivalent. However, auspicious applies to something taken as a sign or omen promising success before or at the start of an event.
an auspicious beginning
While in some cases nearly identical to favorable, propitious may also apply to beginnings but often implies a continuing favorable condition.
a propitious time for starting a business
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- continental rum
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