From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfavourfa‧vour1 British English, favor American English /ˈfeɪvə $ -ər/ ●●● S2 W3 noun 1 help [countable]HELP something that you do for someone in order to help them or be kind to them Could you do me a favour and tell Kelly I can’t make it? He hired John as a favour to his father. Paul, can I ask you a favor? I owed him a favour so I couldn’t say no. She helps me out when I have too much to do, and I return the favour when I can. Do yourself a favour and make sure you get some time to yourself.2 support/approval [uncountable]APPROVE support, approval, or agreement for something such as a plan, idea, or systemin favour of something Senior ministers spoke in favour of the proposal. I talked to Susie about it, and she’s all in favor (=completely approves) of going.find/gain/win favour The idea may find favor with older people.in somebody/something’s favour The vote was 60–59 in the government’s favor. In Sweden and other countries, nuclear power has lost favor.look on/view/regard something with favour formal (=support something, and want to help it succeed) Employers are more likely to look with favour on experienced candidates. All in favour (=used when asking people to vote on something by raising a hand)?vote/decide in favour of something (=vote or decide to support something) 288 members voted in favor of the ban.find/rule in favour of somebody formal (=make a legal decision that supports someone)3 popular/unpopularPOPULAR [uncountable] when someone or something is liked or approved of by people, or not liked or approved ofbe in favour (with somebody) The island is very much in favour as a holiday destination.be out of favour (with somebody) The stock is currently out of favor with investors.find/gain/win favour Radcliffe’s books began to find favour with the reading public.come/be back in favour (=become popular again) Fountain pens have come back in favour.fall/go out of favour (=stop being approved of) Grammar-based teaching methods went out of favour in the 60s and 70s.4 → in somebody’s favour5 → do something in favour of something6 → do somebody/something no favours, 7 unfair support [uncountable]SUPPORT A PERSON, GROUP, OR PLAN support that is given to one person or group and not to others, in a way that does not seem fair Teachers should not show favour to any pupil.8 → do me/us a favour!9 gift [countable] American EnglishGIVE a party favor10 → favours → curry favour (with somebody) at curry2, → without fear or favour at fear1(6), → be thankful/grateful for small favours at small1(13)COLLOCATIONSverbsdo somebody a favour (=do something for someone)Could you do me a favour and lend me £5?ask somebody a favour (also ask a favour of somebody formal)I felt nervous about asking Stephen a favour.owe somebody a favour (=feel that you should do something for someone because they have done something for you)I owe you a favour for all the help you’ve given me.return a favour (=do something for someone because they have done something for you)He helped me in the past and now he wanted me to return the favour.adjectivesa big favourI’ve got a big favour to ask of you.a great favourHe acted as though he’d done us a great favour by coming.a small/little favourCan you do me a small favour?a special favourI agreed to deliver the parcel as a special favour to Paul.a personal favour (=something you do specially for a particular person)As a personal favour, he let us use the hall to rehearse.a political favourHe was accused of granting political favours in return for illegal payments.phrasesas a favour to somebody (=because you want to be kind, not because you have to)She delivered the parcel as a favour to her sister.do yourself a favour (=do something good for yourself)Do yourself a favour and read as many books on the subject as possible.
Examples from the Corpus
favour• The only point in its favour is that it contains nothing that is toxic.• The banks have done developers one favour by staying in Frankfurt rather than heading for Berlin.• The sky was a sharp blue, the air bright, and the wind in our favour.• Booksellers could translate the royal favour into profit for themselves.• Medicine it was that often won them the favour of princes and enabled them to earn a living.• If the White armies could claim it, the Civil War might go in their favour.return the favour• Few of the boys talked to him, except to goad him, and he returned the favour.• It would seem only fair that he should return the favour later.• A possible response to receiving a benefit is to cheat; to fail to return the favour.• Now he wanted me to return the favour.• And now Curval was returning the favour.find/rule in favour of somebody• He therefore ruled in favour of Alexander and Athanasius.fall/go out of favour• Luckily this masochistic brand of economics seems to be at last going out of favour.favourfavour2 British English, favor American English ●●○ W3 verb [transitive] 1 preferPREFER to prefer someone or something to other things or people, especially when there are several to choose from Both countries seem to favour the agreement. loose clothing of the type favoured in Arab countriesfavour somebody/something over somebody/something Florida voters favored Bush over Gore by a very small margin.2 give an advantageADVANTAGE to treat someone much better than someone else, in a way that is not fair a tax cut that favours rich peoplefavour somebody over somebody a judicial system that favours men over women3 helpADVANTAGE to provide suitable conditions for something to happen The current economy does not favour the development of small businesses.4 → be favoured to do something5 look like old-fashionedLIKE/SIMILAR to look like one of your parents or grandparents → favour somebody with something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
favour• Unix Labs favours a meeting of the parties, planned for Thursday March 18.• So far from allowing that number might increase, in 1769 he even favoured a reduction of the number of the enfranchised.• In the 1930s the Bauhaus school tended to favour a technological approach to art.• Hospitals might be privatised or turned into voluntary hospitals, as the Conservatives had favoured before 1946.• Many teachers favour boys, often without even realizing it.• It had not been her intention to favour him with a compliment.• Both groups favour investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.• Eliminating discrimination against women is another way of saying eliminating discrimination that favours men.• The weather favours the Australians, who are used to playing in the heat.• Natural selection favours those genes that manipulate the world to ensure their own propagation. 