FA'VOR, n. [L. favor, faveo.]

1. Kind regard; kindness; countenance; propitious aspect; friendly disposition. His dreadful navy, and his lovely mind, / Gave him the fear and favor of mankind. Waller. The king's favor is as dew on the grass. Prov. xix. God gave Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh. Acts vii. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain. Prov. xxxi.
2. Support; defense; vindication; or disposition to aid, befriend, support, promote or justify. To be in favor of a measure, is to have a disposition or inclination to support it or carry it into effect. To be in favor of a party, is to be disposed or inclined to support it, to justify its proceedings, and to promote its interests.
3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; any act of grace or good will, as distinguished from acts of justice or remuneration. To pardon the guilty is a favor; to punish them is an act of justice.
4. Lenity; mildness or mitigation of punishment. I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence. Swift.
5. Leave; good will; a yielding or concession to another; pardon. But, with your favor, I will treat it here. Dryden.
6. The object of kind regard; the person or thing favored. All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man / His chief delight and favor. Milton.
7. A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribins; something worn as a token of affection. Boron. Spectator. Shak.
8. A feature; countenance. [Not used.] Shak.
9. Advantage; convenience afforded for success. The enemy approached under favor of the night.
10. Partiality; bias. A challenge to the favor, in law, is the challenge of a juror on account of some supposed partiality, by reason of favor or malice, interest or connection.

1. To regard with kindness; to support; to aid or have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to befriend; encourage. To favor the cause of a party, may be merely to wish success to it, or it may signify to give it aid, by counsel, or by active exertions. Sometimes men professedly favor one party and secretly favor another. The lords favor thee not. 1 Sam. xxix. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. Ps. cii. O happy youth! and favored of the skies. Pope.
2. To afford advantages for success; to facilitate. A weak place in the fort favored the entrance of the enemy; the darkness of the night favored his approach. A fair wind favors a voyage.
3. To resemble in features. The child favors his father.
4. To ease; to spare. A man in walking favors a lame leg.

1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will.
   
   

   Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak.

2. To regard with kindness] to support; to aid, or to have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to be propitious to; to countenance; to treat with consideration or tenderness; to show partiality or unfair bias towards.
   
   

   O happy youth! and favored of the skies. Pope.

   He that favoreth Joab, . . . let him go after Joab. 2 Sam. xx. 11.

   [The painter] has favored her squint admirably. Swift.

3. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending.
   
   

   But found no favor in his lady's eyes. Dryden.

   And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke ii. 52.

4. To afford advantages for success to; to facilitate; as, a weak place favored the entrance of the enemy.
5. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
   
   

   Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. Shak.

6. To resemble in features; to have the aspect or looks of; as, the child favors his father.
   
   

   The porter owned that the gentleman favored his master. Spectator.

7. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
   
   

   I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence. Swift.

8. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
   
   

   All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man,
   His chief delight and favor. Milton.

9. A gift or represent; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
   
   

   Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap. Shak.

10. Appearance; look; countenance; face.
    
    
    [Obs.]

    This boy is fair, of female favor. Shak.

11. Partiality; bias.
    
    
    Bouvier.
12. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
13. Love locks.
    
    
    [Obs.] Wright.

    Challenge to the favor or for favor (Law), the challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance, business relation, etc. See Principal challenge, under Challenge. -- In favor of, upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of. -- In favor with, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by. -- To curry favor [see the etymology of Favor, above], to seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities. -- With one's favor, or By one's favor, with leave; by kind permission.

    But, with your favor, I will treat it here. Dryden.

    Syn. -- Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit.