c. 1300, "attractiveness, beauty, charm" (archaic), from Old French favor "a favor; approval, praise; applause; partiality" (13c., Modern French faveur), from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to," from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worship" (cognate: Old Norse ga "to heed").
Meaning "good will, kind regard" is from mid-14c. in English; sense of "act of kindness, a kindness done" is from late 14c. Meaning "bias, partiality" is from late 14c. Meaning "thing given as a mark of favor" is from late 15c. Phrase in favor of recorded from 1560s.
favor (v.)
mid-14c., "to regard with favor, indulge, treat with partiality," from Old French favorer, from favor "a favor, partiality" (see favor (n.)). Meaning "to resemble, look somewhat like" is from c. 1600. Related: Favored; favoring.
实用例句
1. Recent opinion polls show that 60 percent favor abortion under certain circumstances.
最近的民意调查显示，60%的人赞成在某些情况下可以堕胎。来自柯林斯例句
2. Safire writes hilariously of being banished from presidential favor.
