favourable

favourable — adjective

1. Expressing approval toward a person, their work, or an idea in a spoken or writt

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

Expressing approval toward a person, their work, or an idea in a spoken or written comment.

Example

The children's book got favourable reviews from teachers and parents alike.

collocation: favourable review

Anong felt encouraged when her manager gave a favourable report on her work.

collocation: favourable report

Common collocations
  • favourable review
  • favourable response
  • favourable comment
  • favourable opinion
  • favourable report
  • favourable feedback
Synonyms
  • positive

    neutral and common; less formal than favourable in some contexts

  • approving

    more direct about personal endorsement; narrower in scope

  • complimentary

    specifically about praise; used for remarks or reviews

Antonyms
  • unfavourable

    direct opposite; showing disapproval

  • critical

    emphasises pointing out faults rather than just disagreeing

Grammar Patterns

favourable + noun

be favourable

Usage Note

Commonly appears with nouns such as review, response, comment, report, and opinion. This sense describes the reaction itself, not the qualities that caused it (see sense 2 for that distinction).

Common Mistakes

This is my favourable song.
This is my favourite song.
'favourable' means approving or advantageous; 'favourite' means most liked.

2. Describing qualities that lead others to see a person or an organisation in a po

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describing qualities that lead others to see a person or an organisation in a positive manner.

Example

Dario made a favourable impression on his new team during the first week.

collocation: make a favourable impression on

The restaurant's friendly service and clean kitchen created a favourable image.

Common collocations
  • favourable impression
  • favourable image
  • favourable light
  • be favourable to
Synonyms
  • impressive

    stronger; suggests the person is genuinely struck by the quality

  • positive

    broader; can describe both the quality and the reaction

  • good

    simpler and more general; less formal

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

make a favourable impression on + noun

be favourable to + noun phrase

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1 (which describes the reaction itself), this sense describes the traits that bring about the reaction. Common in the fixed phrase 'make/leave a favourable impression on someone'. Subject is usually a person's behaviour, a company's practices, or an organisation's qualities.

Common Mistakes

The weather made a favourable impression on me.' (if you mean advantageous weather, not weather that impresses).
The sunny weather created a favourable impression on holidaymakers.
sense 2 is about qualities that cause approval; for advantageous conditions use sense 3.

3. Describing circumstances, terms, or conditions that improve your chances of achi

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

Describing circumstances, terms, or conditions that improve your chances of achieving something.

Example

The bank offered Christopher a loan with very favourable interest rates.

collocation: favourable interest rates

Élise moved her company to a region with more favourable tax laws.

Common collocations
  • favourable terms
  • favourable conditions
  • favourable exchange rate
  • favourable position
  • favourable weather
  • favourable outcome
Synonyms
  • advantageous

    nearly identical but slightly more formal

  • beneficial

    focuses on positive outcomes for health or well-being

  • good

    simpler and less specific; used in everyday speech

Antonyms
  • unfavourable

    direct opposite; describing disadvantageous conditions

  • adverse

    formal; often used for weather, conditions, or reactions

Grammar Patterns

favourable + noun (terms/conditions)

be favourable for + noun phrase

Usage Note

Common in business, finance, and sports contexts. Often paired with nouns such as terms, conditions, rate, price, outcome, position, or weather. The preposition for introduces the beneficiary (e.g., 'favourable for tourists'). Distinguish from sense 1: a 'favourable review' is approving; 'favourable terms' give you an advantage.

Common Mistakes

The weather is favourable to farming.
The weather is favourable for farming.
'favourable for' introduces the activity or person that benefits; 'favourable to' is used with sense 2 (causing a good opinion).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/3

All four words describe something that helps you succeed, but they differ in context and nuance. Favourable is the broadest term, used for conditions, terms, or circumstances that create a positive situation (e.g., 'favourable exchange rates' or 'favourable weather'). Advantageous emphasises gaining a superior position relative to others — it often suggests strategic benefit rather than general helpfulness (e.g., 'an advantageous seating arrangement near the stage'). Beneficial focuses on promoting health, well-being, or long-term positive outcomes (e.g., 'a beneficial change in diet'). Profitable is narrower and tied specifically to financial or material gain (e.g., 'a profitable business deal'). In everyday language, favourable and advantageous overlap frequently, but favourable is more neutral and descriptive, while advantageous suggests a deliberate edge over others.

favourable ↗advantageous ↗beneficial ↗profitable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • put someone in a favourable light
  • take a favourable view of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Favourable comes from Old French 'favorable', which in turn came from Latin 'favorabilis' (meaning 'showing favour or goodwill'). The Latin root 'favor' means 'goodwill, kindness', combined with '-abilis' (meaning 'able to'). So the original sense was 'able to show favour or kindness', which later broadened to cover anything that is approving or gives an advantage.