Favorably

How to spell favorably

9 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce favorably

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does favorably mean?

1. adverbIn a way that shows approval, advantage, or a positive outcome.

Favorably in a sentence

• The committee responded favorably to her funding proposal.

• The new phone compares favorably with last year's flagship model.

Where does favorably come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This adverb traces back to the Latin noun favor, which meant goodwill, kindness, or support, and which itself grew from the verb favere, meaning to be well disposed toward someone. Latin passed favor into Old French as favor or faveur, and English adopted it during the 1300s to describe approval or preferential treatment. From the noun came the adjective favorable, literally meaning worthy of or inclined to grant favor, and the adverb favorably followed in the same period. The American spelling drops the u that British and Canadian writers keep in favourably, reflecting a deliberate nineteenth-century simplification championed by Noah Webster. Knowing that the core is simply the word favor plus -ably is the surest way to remember the spelling.

How the word is built

• favor (from Latin favor: goodwill, kindness)
• -able (capable of, worthy of)
• -ly (adverb-forming suffix)

British and American spelling

Favorably is the American spelling. British English spells it favourably.