as in bias
the unfair practice of treating some people better than others
The favoritism of the boss led to many disgruntled employees. He accused the teacher of showing favoritism in assigning grades.
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Recent Examples of favoritism
However, the other two members wound up suing Beyoncé and Kelly, claiming that being managed by Beyoncé's dad Mathew led to favoritism within the group.
—
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Stephen Adamus is the harshest critic of them, having sued Prang and alleging favoritism by Prang.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Reality, in the form of age and favoritism, says Sieler, the 2024 team MVP, is a bit of an outsider.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Still, Chief Wallabee, who is owned by Michael and Katherine Ball, has shown enough promise to merit favoritism — and possibly get Mott into the Florida Derby winner’s circle for the first time.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026
Stephen Adamus is the harshest critic of them, having sued Prang and alleging favoritism by Prang.
—The Editorial Board, Daily News, 15 Apr. 2026
Reality, in the form of age and favoritism, says Sieler, the 2024 team MVP, is a bit of an outsider.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026
Still, Chief Wallabee, who is owned by Michael and Katherine Ball, has shown enough promise to merit favoritism — and possibly get Mott into the Florida Derby winner’s circle for the first time.
—Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for favoritism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for favoritism
Noun
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That proposal made national headlines and led to months of reckoning with racial bias after a Center School parent was caught on a hot mic during a remote school board meeting.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Providers also can fall victim to inadvertent bias, assuming a young, otherwise healthy patient must be dealing with something other than shingles.—
Alyssa Sparacino,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That is prejudice dressed in the language of security.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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The goal was to combat racial prejudice by putting white and Black people in a room together for a marathon weekend of unfiltered sharing and confrontation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Two years into Bronny James’ NBA career, in the postseason spotlight, cries of nepotism will have to wait for the bench minutes the Lakers actually need from the 21-year-old guard.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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Employee referral programs consistently produce higher-quality hires, not because of nepotism, but because people rarely recommend someone who will embarrass them.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Reforming this cronyism requires no new spending or bureaucracy.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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In 2002 the Editorial Board of this newspaper began publishing allegations detailing kickbacks by the DA’s staff, cronyism, and political prosecutions.—
John O’Hara,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Favoritism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/favoritism. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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