What does favouritism mean?
Favouritism is the practice of treating one person or group more generously than others for reasons of personal liking rather than objective merit. It most often arises where someone holds power over outcomes — a boss promoting a favoured employee, a teacher grading a favourite pupil, or an official steering contracts toward allies. The word carries an overwhelmingly negative connotation: to accuse an institution of favouritism is to allege that its decisions are corrupted by partiality. Related terms sharpen the accusation — nepotism names favouritism toward relatives, while cronyism points to favouritism among friends. Spelled with a 'u', it is the British form; American English writes it as favoritism. The word derives ultimately from 'favour', itself rooted in Latin, and entered English usage around the seventeenth century alongside the broader culture of courtly patronage. It remains a central concept in discussions of fairness, meritocracy, and institutional integrity.
nounThe unfair practice of giving preferential treatment to one person or group, especially in employment or other official contexts, based on personal liking rather than merit.
- Unfair preferential treatment of a person or group, especially in positions of authority.
- A general inclination to favour one side, person, or thing over others.
"Employees complained that the manager's favouritism towards his own relatives made promotion decisions meaningless."
"The referee was accused of favouritism after several dubious calls went against the visiting team."
"In awarding the contract, the committee took care to avoid any suggestion of favouritism."
Rarely pluralised; the singular form is standard even when describing multiple instances.
"Historians catalogued the various favouritisms of the old regime."
Favouritism and its American cousin favoritism are the same word wearing different spelling hats — a small 'u' that marks which side of the Atlantic you learned your vocabulary on.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of favouritism
Favouritism derives from 'favourite' (from Latin 'favor', meaning goodwill or approval, which passed into French before reaching English), combined with the suffix '-ism'. The term emerged in English around the early modern period, when the behaviour of royal favourites at European courts made partiality a matter of public controversy. Its American counterpart, favoritism, follows the same path with the simplified US spelling.
How favouritism is actually used
Favouritism is almost always used critically — it carries an inherently negative connotation of injustice. It is chiefly British in spelling; American English uses favoritism. The word appears frequently in workplace, sporting, and political contexts.
Easily confused with favouritism
Nepotism is specifically favouritism shown to relatives, whereas favouritism covers preferential treatment of anyone for personal reasons.