favoritism
noun
fa·vor·it·ism
ˈfā-v(ə-)rə-ˌti-zəm 
ˈfā-vər-
1
: the showing of special favor : partiality
2
: the state or fact of being a favorite
Examples of favoritism in a Sentence
He accused the teacher of showing favoritism in assigning grades.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Chiefs had more penalties than their opponents in two of their three 2020 postseason games, so someone pushing the narrative of Chiefs favoritism would intentionally exclude that year.
—
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2025
League accused of favoritism toward Thomas The plaintiffs say they were discouraged from expressing disagreement with the university’s stand to accommodate Thomas, who had previously competed on the UPenn men’s swimming team, including Thomas’ presence in women’s locker rooms.
—Andy Rose, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Christina thinks her mom's natural bias and Dominique's favoritism toward her will lock in a win against Tarek and his new wife Heather Rae El Moussa.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
But according to Goodell, fans should be focused on the game itself, not on unfounded accusations of favoritism.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for favoritism 
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Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 6 Feb. 2025
League accused of favoritism toward Thomas The plaintiffs say they were discouraged from expressing disagreement with the university’s stand to accommodate Thomas, who had previously competed on the UPenn men’s swimming team, including Thomas’ presence in women’s locker rooms.
—Andy Rose, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Christina thinks her mom's natural bias and Dominique's favoritism toward her will lock in a win against Tarek and his new wife Heather Rae El Moussa.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025
But according to Goodell, fans should be focused on the game itself, not on unfounded accusations of favoritism.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for favoritism
Articles Related to favoritism
Dictionary Entries Near favoritism
Cite this Entry
“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/favoritism. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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favoritism
noun
fa·vor·it·ism
ˈfāv-(ə-)rət-ˌiz-əm
: unfairly favorable treatment of some while neglecting others
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