Favorable

Favorable is an adjective that describes something that is beneficial, advantageous, or likely to produce a positive result. It can refer to conditions, opinions, or actions that support success or attract approval. In everyday usage, it often conveys a sense of approval or readiness to proceed, as in favorable conditions for a project or a favorable review.

Etymology and spelling: From Latin favorabilis, via Old French favorable, the word entered English with the sense of bearing kindness or support. American English generally uses the spelling favorable, while British English favors favourable. The noun form is favor (US) or favour (UK), while the verb form is to favor or to favour.

Contexts: In meteorology or planning, favorable conditions enable success. In law, 'favorable' describes a ruling or evidence that benefits a party, as in a favorable verdict or favorable precedents. In finance, favorable terms or a favorable interest rate denote terms that are advantageous. In science, a favorable environment supports growth; in statistics, a favorable outcome is a success relative to a baseline.

Common collocations include favorable reviews, favorable winds, and favorable odds. A sentence such as, The committee received favorable feedback from stakeholders, illustrates everyday usage.

Favorable is opposite to unfavorable; the term appears across domains to signal benefit, support, or likelihood of success. See also: favor, favour, favorable odds.